Dimensional Guardian: Book II: L'cie
by XInsanityXAreolusXShadowwindX
Summary: Jared's back for his next mission! After 15 years in Weyard (trip is outlined inside), he finds himself in Bodhum. Is Lightning as cold as we think she is? Is PSICOM as stupid? What happens when a L'cie doesn't have a Focus? Why am I asking you? READ TO FIND OUT! Rated for suggestive content and future possiblities.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, if you didn't read book 1, then I suggest you read that as well, otherwise you'll get confused by this quite a bit.

See my profile for Dimensional Guardian: Book I: Dragoon.

I would HIGHLY advise that you read that one first.

As with all my stories I intend to write 3 Chapters before posting this, and as such, you'll probably have to wait for more.

Also, at the beginning of this story, Jared Shadowwind has gotten to 58 years old. He spent 15 years in Weyard. Doris, Issac's Mother was born 3 months before this story.

While in Weyard, he had stayed in Imil to learn the ways of the Mercury Clan. He found a traveling group of Venus adepts and learned that branch from them. He found Hama's mother, and trained alongside _her_ in Jupiter Psynergy, and was free to show off what he had learned among the other branches as well. The last area he had learned from was a Mars Clan that was hiding in the Suhalla Desert. Once all four of them were mastered, he took to learning the Cross-Psynergy and had learned virtually every Psynergy used in game. He had found that Cross-Psynergy was harder than the Four Main Disciplines, and even expected as much.

In game, Cross-Psynergy is used when Djinn change the class only. _HOWEVER_, they are only accessible when, say a Jupiter Adept is using Mars, Venus or Mercury Djinn. For Venus Adepts: Mars, Jupiter and Mercury Djinn allow the Cross-Psynergy. The concept is the same for the others as well.

Anyway, after that was done, the Tuaparang had found him, and he had showed the Power of the Shadows he had. To try and get away from them, seeing as he didn't have time to spare for them. By the display, even though it wasn't Psynergy, they decided to train him in their ways. When he was done, he was about to leave, yet was offered to stay. He declined, because he was only there for training, before he had to move on. If he didn't, he'd die, and they let him go on the condition that he doesn't teach anyone what they taught him, or speak of them. He gave the classic response: "Wasn't planning to anyway." At Vale, he managed to convince the elders to see Sol Sanctum and was guided up there. Once in what they thought was the end, he felt the Wind Shift, and went further in, even though there was a Elder present. I short, the Elder Followed him, and he found the trap, disarmed it, and went through the portal, telling the Elder to stay behind. The reason he gave: "You haven't been this far, from what I heard. It could be dangerous on the other side. Wait for me to get back. Any danger in Weyard has been no match for me, so I can handle myself. You may not be able to." He met the Wise one in person, and he told the Floating Rock about the Tuaparang. He was told that his next adventure begins in 2 months, and to stay in Vale until that time, before telling him where the next one was.

And this is the story of the next adventure.

For the record, I don't even own the concept of Dimensional Guardians. I'm just writing about them cause I can. I am not one myself, either. I wouldn't be doing this if I were. I'd be living it instead. Jared Shadowwind is my character, yes. Reaper is just a blade that I've heard of. Honestly? I blame Airgod for telling me about them. BUT, you get a story out of it, so why not?

Let's begin.

But first

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T FUCKING OWN ANYTHING!

Jared was looking over a much larger city. He saw a beach near the city as well. He registered this as Bodhum in Cocoon. He had been here for two days, and was currently on the top of a pretty tall building: Almost 12 stories. In fact, it was the tallest in the Large City.

Jared was currently wearing blue Wrangler's Jeans, and a black T-shirt. He also had a pair of Strong Leather Boots, made more for walking long distances and had a bit of wear in them, though not much. He had found an entire Vein of Mythril and made an entire Wardrobe.

He had seen that the Fireworks festival was in 2 weeks, which gave him ample time to figure out a few things. He brought a few of his works, saying he had found them, and managed to restore them. They were antiques, but not from Cocoon, or Pulse. He had taken to doing this for money for a long time, so he figured he might as well use it to his advantage. It has been 3 days, and he was actually looking for someone at the moment. His eyesight _never_ dulled, and he was looking for two people based on a description from a game, and a third, who he wasn't sure would recognize him.

Fang, Vanille and Serah.

Unlike when he went to Weyard, he wasn't interrupted by anyone. He was essentially going in without any real information on his mission. As such, he was looking for Serah first, not sure what time of day she was branded, so he was... _'Found her.'_ He thought, as he spotted her walking out of the city limits and into the outskirts. He hid his smile, and decided to just jump off, bending the light around him to hide his figure, as he went to a nearby building, 4 stories high, without any damage to him, and then to another roof, before landing on the path he had found Serah taking.

As he got to ground level, he hid in an alley, let the Light refocus, and walked out, before getting on the path, and saw her about to reach his location. He noticed that she hadn't been branded yet as she passed, and it was still early morning, though. By his estimate barely 9:00 AM. He spoke up. "Excuse me miss. I'm looking for someone, think you can help me out?" He asked politely.

Serah looked at him in confusion. "Who are you?"

"Sorry, my name is Jared. I was told the one I was looking for is in the city of Bodhum, and he lived here."

"Oh." Her look of confusion took on a smile. "I probably could tell you where to go to find them. I know almost everyone that lives in this town. My name is Serah." They started walking along the path. "So, who are you looking for?"

"His name is Snow Villiers."

"You know Snow?" She cut him off, causing him to look at her. "Sorry about it."

"No problem." Jared replied, putting on a slight smile. "Anyway, I know of him. We've never met, really. Still, a friend of mine wanted me to find him. Help him out, and make sure he has _some_ manners. He told me this before he died."

"Oh... Well, you can come with me. I'm heading to meet him, anyway." She said, somewhat subdued.

"That's even better. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled slightly, and they continued to walk today. They talked about random things. Serah was quite the Interrogator, and managed to get quite a bit of information from Jared. Nothing serious, and nothing about his origins, but still, it was more than he would've liked.

They reached what seemed to be a Giant building, similar to a T in shape, with a head. They decided to sit down nearby, and then Serah noticed something, looking at the building. "Something wrong?"

"No... I guess. But, now that I look, the Vestige is open."

Jared looked at it. "Vestige?"

"The Bodhum Vestige. Not well known to those outside Bodhum, but still pretty well known. It's not talked about often, but Snow and I meet here quite often. Thing is, it's always closed. This is the first time it's open."

Jared looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Curious?"

"Very." She admitted. "I've been told I'm too curious for my own good."

"It can't be that bad." Jared said, before looking back at the Vestige. "But I'm getting strange vibes. Have you heard the saying 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"

"My sister tells me that all the time." Serah spoke sadly.

"Well, listen to this." This earned a sad look from her. "Curiosity didn't kill the cat."

She was confused. "Huh?"

"Stupidity killed the cat. Curiosity was framed." Jared smirked. "You go in, I'm going in too." He pulled out Cerberus. "You don't see what I've seen without learning how to fight. I can hold my own against just about anything you can think of. I'll make sure you come back out alive. You can count on it."

"That's a strange gun." Serah said, impressed. "I think my sister might know what it is."

"Doubtful." Jared said, as they walked in.

"What do you mean?"

"Cerberus is unique." Jared told her. "It's the only one of it to my knowledge. The Triple Barrel is _not_ just for show. It also allows me to amplify Mental and Spiritual Energies, and then channel them through it, essentially getting rid of the need to use actual bullets. Using that route is actually tiring if you don't know what you're doing, but after using him for a few years, I've built up a good reserve of both. Anyone could do it, if they know what it is they're doing. Apparently, it can still use Metal Bullets too, so I can use either method."

"Wow. That's impressive... I think."

"Yeah, it is. Thing is, using the Energy method is dangerous when I'm around others. Especially when I'm in a town like Bodhum."

"Why is that?"

"Because, Serah, it's too similar to the Magic of a L'cie. I have to be careful using it, so I don't get taken up, or Cerberus studied. He wouldn't like that."

"He?"

"Cerberus... is actually Sentient. It's why I'd be surprised if your sister, no matter her occupation, would have heard of it. It's one of a kind, and even if you could make a replica, it wouldn't be able to give you access to the Energies he gives me access to. It's actually highly similar to something known as Manadrive, but there's more to it than just saying it's a gun that gives a path around Manadrive."

"What's Manadrive?"

"Manadrive, on a simple level, allows usage of Magic, similar to a L'cie. The specifics... I doubt you could understand the complexities of the entire thing, so I won't bother with an explanation." Jared explained. "Cerberus, on the other hand, is different. Manadrive let's you use what's already there, but doesn't increase the energies all that much. Cerberus, on the other hand, increases the Energies, and then applies the actual effect of said energies. Perfect Example: Mental Energy is tied to how fast your brain can comprehend something. The higher your Mental Energy the clearer and faster you can think. Most humans don't even have 10% of the Mental Energy I have thanks to Cerberus. Some with Photographic Memory tend to have about 15% of the Mental Energy I have. Do you understand all this?"

"I think so. Manadrive lets one use spells, but is really only an accessory that makes you lose its effects without it, while Cerberus makes it stay that way, right?"

"That's a pretty accurate and really simple way of comparing the two." Jared replied, as they were looking around. It wasn't long before they found a pair of Crystals, which caused Jared to stop in his tracks. "Uh, Serah?"

"Hm?" She looked at the Crystal People. "Wow... Who could make something like this?"

But that's not what got him. He _recognized_ one of them. _'Fang...'_ He thought back to when he met her in the Moon That Never Sets. "Jared? Is something wrong?"

"One of the benefits of Spiritual Energy increase. Those two are _alive_." He said, seriousness and awe in his voice.

"How are the sculptures... alive..." She looked at them wide-eyed. "Could they be...?"

"L'cie." Jared's eyes narrowed, before There was a bright light, as Serah and Jared were floating. Jared was just looking around calmly, before Reaper was in his right hand, Cerberus in his left. His eyes went from left to right.

Serah, on the other hand, was just looking around curiously, until a massive figure hit her arm with a light, stopping her curiosity short, to feel the pain of being branded. Jared, however, got hit with another one, which was about to hit his chest, where Shinku's Spirit Stone interfered. The light stopped, before it went _through_ the stone, and hit his chest.

Serah passed out from pain, but Jared didn't. He just grunted. "Paku hits harder than you, you idiot." He spoke, his voice slightly pained.

"_You are different... I believe you are the one Mother spoke of?"_ The tone was questioning.

"And your mother is?" The pain in Jared's voice was gone.

"_Humans know her as the Maker."_

"I take it you're Anima?" Jared asked.

"_That I am. She is aware of what is going to happen soon. She has chosen me to carry out the counter. You are merely insurance for our cause."_

"So what? I've got a Focus now?"

"_No. I gave you the mark, but it appears I cannot give you a focus. It is... unusual. It is why I believe you to be her Insurance."_ Anima spoke.

"What are you talking about? Any changes to the Mark?"

"_Not many. Without the focus, you don't have to worry about becoming a Ci'eth, that's for sure. With no focus, you won't turn to Crystal Either. Check your chest, and see where it stands. The more arrows there are, the less time one has. If you have an Eye fully opened in the center, you will turn Ci'eth, in normal circumstances. I do know that you will still progress in your abilities like a normal L'cie. Practice on your own. That is all I can say."_

Jared nodded. "Anything in particular she wants me to know?"

"_She said: The Focus is merely a guide. To be completed, it must come true, but sometimes, that is not the end. For example, if Ragnarok must be summoned, what is done with it is up to the summoner. It is why Pulse is uninhabited by Human life at the moment. Cocoon did not take them all out. Ragnarok did. Let the Defiers of Fate know this."_

Jared's eyes widened slightly. "That... that makes a lot more sense."

"_I wish you luck, Human."_

"I don't classify as human. Being Ageless has that effect." Jared vanished from the void.

"_I wonder what he meant by that."_

-Bodhum Vestige-

There were two girls hovering over an unconscious Serah. "You think he branded her because of us?" A red head stated.

Naruto recognized her as Oerba Dia Vanille. The red hair, the tribal like Clothing, he knew it was her.

The other he had seen in person before. He would _never_ forget her. He trained Cerberus at the back of her neck. "Been a while Fang."

She stiffened. Her clothing was the same as when he met her. Indian Tribal style clothing. The only thing she was missing was her lance.

"So, you came to me, huh?" She asked. "I'm surprised, Shadowwind."

He pulled Cerberus back, and she turned to him. She had a smirk. "Fang... you know him?"

"I was still in the crystal. By the way, I don't recall the name of the dish."

"Eh, it's just pasta and Pork Chops. Pretty common where I'm from." Jared shrugged.

"So, where's your armor, and why is she here?" Fang pointed at Serah, who was barely conscious at the moment.

"Well, we were actually outside the Vestige. I came looking for a man named Snow. Found her instead." Jared then looked into her eyes. "You remember what I showed you?"

"The whole thing. I just lost the memory of my Focus. Any ideas?"

"I'll leave that to you two. Be careful, and don't do anything stupid." Jared said, picking up Serah bridal style. "Good luck. Be careful of the Fal'cie." He noticed that Serah was unconscious again, and walked out.

Vanille looked at Fang. "Who was he?"

"Let's just say he's a friend to L'cie, whether he's one himself or not." Fang replied. "Come on. We got to figure out our Focus."

-outside-

Jared brought Serah out of the major door, and saw a Big man, which Jared recognized. The Trenchcoat, beanie, blonde hair. _'Yeah, that's Snow.'_ "You Snow Villiers?" He asked.

He looked at Jared, and his blue eyes widened. "Serah!" He ran over to him, and Jared set her down. "What did you do?!" He accused.

"I didn't do this." Jared retorted, calmly. "I actually came looking for you, and asked her for some help, since I couldn't. It took me a few days, but I asked. She led me here, saying she was meeting who I was looking for. I'm assuming that's you."

Snow looked back at her. "What happened?"

"She got curious, and went inside the Vestige. She saw something towering over her. What, she didn't know. When she reappeared, she had this on her." He pointed at the Mark.

It was her Brand. "I believe it would be a good idea to cover it up. I think she has been branded by a Pulse Fal'cie."

"What about you?"

"I didn't see anything she did. I only heard a voice, before a light appeared, and hit me in the chest. I haven't checked it yet, as I was bringing her out. She's alive, merely unconscious." Jared told him, before pulling a briefcase out of nowhere. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, being a traveler myself." He opened it and inside was a bunch of Medical Supplies. A Medical kit. He pulled out a roll of Gauze, and started to wrap up the brand.

"My name is Jared Shadowwind." He said, as he finished. "The Gauze is tight enough that it won't unravel under anything _but_ a major explosion, or it's unraveled by hand, but still loose enough that it won't cut off circulation. Don't take it off. Say that something happened, but no one knows what it is. She passed out, but whatever happened, she can't remember." He looked at Snow. "Understand?"

"Yeah, I got it. I doubt you could give me any advice on this, so I'm not going to ask."

"Hang on. I do have one piece of advice. Something I was told." Snow looked at him as he picked up Serah. "Fate is not determined by Deities, or Fal'cie. A single Mortal with extreme amounts of Determination and a Strength of Will to match can change the tide of Fate. You have the will. Use it to help her."

"Got it. I'll take her elsewhere, and make sure she's okay. If anything's out of place, I'm blaming you."

"And you'd have every reason to." Jared said. "by the way, Snow?"

"What?" He looked back.

"Be careful of Lightning. They're too temperamental."

Snow turned just enough to see where he was, but saw that Jared had vanished.

"Where did he go?" Snow was confused. "No time. Serah first. Mystery guy later."

Jared simply shook his head in his perch at the top of a tree. _'Just like the game, Snow. I wonder if Lightning is even slightly more open than the game, or just as cold. Hell, even colder if that's possible.'_ He chuckled. _'Given what I've done, I'd have to say it could be possible.'_

He then took off his shirt, and checked his chest. What he saw: The same brand as Serah, just completely open. Around it, the Symbol of the Crimson Dragon. The _full_ symbol. That surprised him, as he searched for any sign of the stone. _'Ah shit...'_

"**What happened?"**

Jared's eyes widened. _'Shinku?'_

"**Who else?"**

_'I don't know what happened. I was branded by a Fal'cie in Cocoon. The stone intercepted the beam which branded me, and I haven't seen it since.'_

"**Oh. Apparently, something else has come up. I was about to say I was going to need my power again, but I see you don't see to have it right now. Just my mark. It seems tied into something on your chest. Another mark, apparently. They aren't conflicting, but they will need some time to assimilate together. The other mark is giving you a type of Magic. Slightly different from what I've seen you use. Less variety, more power."**

Jared put his shirt back on._ 'It's a L'cie Brand. Apparently, it knocked off most of my abilities. I just have my Jupiter Branch of Psynergy, my Guardian abilities, and access to my Shadow Abilities. Thankfully, I can still use my cloaking technique. Immunities are a given. All the Magic I learned in Endiness is gone, and I couldn't feel your presence, either.'_

"**I get it. The power has now fused with you, and is assimilating with your body. My soul is now gone, and returned to me. Until the Assimilation is completely, you won't be able to use the Dragoon Form I once gave you. I also sense part of the other Brand is locked to you."**

_'Then, when it assimilates, I may be able to use the form again?'_

"**Your guess is as good as mine. I wish you luck. I'll keep an eye on the power you got from me. I always know when you use it, so... good luck, and god speed. I'll let you know when the two powers assimilate."**

_'Thanks man. Good luck with whatever you have to take care of.'_

Shinku's presence vanished from his mind. _'Reaper, Cerberus, looks like we'll have to wait for a while.'_

"_Noted."_

"_You really couldn't do anything else, could you?"_ Reaper questioned.

_'I wish I could have, you two. I really do.'_

Reaper had was in a scabbard on his back, coming over the right shoulder. Cerberus was in the same spot as usual. He merely walked into town, and looked around for the Guardian Corps building. When he found it, he saw someone similar to Serah walk out. The hair was shorter, and she was obviously in a Military Uniform. The single plate, the weapon on her back, all of it. She saw him, and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Just someone looking for some money, and a good fight." Jared replied, stoically.

The woman scrutinized him, and finally nodded. "You'll want to talk to Lieutenant Amodar. He's inside."

Jared nodded, and went through the sliding doors. Inside the 2 story building, was a bit more of a lobby than it should've been, in his opinion. He found the right person talking to someone in a similar Uniform to Lightning, who he passed out front. "Excuse me sir, are you Lieutenant Amodar?"

The big man looked at Jared, and nodded. "That would be me."

Jared nodded. "I'm looking for some work. Nothing to tie me down, but something with a bit of a risk. And by risk, I mean Life and Limb."

"I'm afraid I can't really do anything for you, sir." Amodar raised an eyebrow. "Just who are you?"

"Those who know me call me Shadow. My real name is Jared. I'm not well known, but I can handle just about any kind of fight."

"I see. Why do they call you Shadow?"

"My targets never know I'm there until it's too late. Anything from Monsters to Wildlife to criminals and bounties, it doesn't matter really. One could be the most paranoid idiot out there, and they _still_ wouldn't know I was there until I took them out. I can handle stealth, and front line fighting if needed. I'm a warrior. Fighting is what I do."

Amodar stroked his chin. "I got ya. Can you handle Patrol Duty? Got no extermination missions right now."

Jared nodded. "That could work, if I knew the area. I'm still relatively new to the city."

"Ah. You should've said that first. Well, if I were you I'd talk to a man named Snow Villiers. Runs a little group called NORA. They're probably more your speed."

Jared shrugged. "I'll try to find them. Any advice?"

"Yeah. Lebreau is the only female of the group. They need to learn a thing or two about Manners, but they get the job done as good as any Soldier. They may be Civilians, but they do what they can. They just can't handle Uniform Standards. They do the same thing the Guardian Corps does, and protect the people, but they hate PSICOM with a passion. We've got some common ground there. The Corps doesn't like PSICOM either."

"Any particular reason why?"

Amodar looked around, and leaned in. "PSICOM doesn't care who gets involved. Innocent bystanders are expendable. They don't care. If Someone gets in their way, it means death. But you didn't hear it from me." he leaned back, and saw a look of rage in Jared's eyes.

"If PSICOM comes after me or someone around me, I'm killing the idiots that try to shoot me. Fair Warning."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Amodar stated. "By the way, what's with the sword and Gun? Can't you use a gunblade?"

"Never learned." Jared admitted, before pulling out Cerberus. "Cerberus is unique. There's a reason I tend to take extermination missions solo. Not only can I handle myself, it's the Weapons I use. Cerberus is unique in design, and usage."

"I've never seen a gun like this. How does it work with the three barrels? There doesn't seem to be an axle to revolve around." Amodar asked, curious.

Jared looked around. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer this to be private."

"Come with me, then." they walked down a hall, which was pretty messy, and went into a room, where Amodar closed the door.

Jared let the Civilian side of him fade, and now he held the face he did as a Knight of Millie Seseau. He turned to Amodar that noticed the change. "Alright, who are you? Really?"

"My name is Jared Shadowwind. I did not lie there. If you must know, the only reason I'm on Cocoon in the first place is because something big is about to happen. I _do _have an employer but they are not paying me with Gil."

"Then what are they paying you with? Treasure? Slaves?" Amodar narrowed his eyes.

"Abilities and experience." Jared replied. "My Employer is called "The Maker" by the locals. Let me finish before you say anything." He stated seeing Amodar about to interrupt. "I'm not from Cocoon, nor am I from Pulse. Believe what you want, but the abilities I have are not found in L'cie, or Fal'cie. I was chosen to run interference. My presence here is considered Insurance. Now, I personally have nothing against this place. I've got no good friends, or family here, but I completely detest the claim that Innocent Bystanders are nothing more than Necessary Collateral. That is _not_ how I operate. A revolution is coming. It's a new War of Transgression."

"Then I should tell the Primarch."

"The Primarch already knows." Jared told him.

"You told him?"

"No. He's causing it." this gave Amodar pause. "Galenth Dysley is going to cause a revolution. I was sent to the place where it will all begin: That is right here, in Bodhum. Something is going to happen soon, and if you report this, you'll either be called a liar and discharged, or called crazy by your superiors."

At the pause, he let Amodar ask a single question. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"The Bodhum Vestige is open. I've already checked it out. Anima, a Pulse Fal'cie, is in there." This caused wide eyes from Amodar. "The reason I was chosen to be Insurance, is because the Fal'cie cannot give me a Focus."

"I don't see how that's possible."

"The Fal'cie are allowed to brand anyone, but some are immune to the Binding. They are known as Dimensional Guardians. Maker chose me, and I know why we're immune. I'll let you in on _one_ thing about us. We are _already_ ageless. I will give you information, but you will need to pretend you don't know any of it, until it all begins. The entire series of Events have been planned out. 6 L'cie, 4 born on Cocoon, 2 born on Pulse. That's one side. One of them, from what I know, walked out of this building right before I walked in. The face, the clothing, the weapon, they all match. E'clair "Lightning" Farron. That's one of the four from Cocoon. Her sister, I already know her focus. She doesn't know what it is, though."

"Serah's been branded?"

"Happened before I came here." Jared admitted. "The Focus is to bring together Snow Villiers and Lightning. Some that see it afterwards would argue that she was chosen to set everything up. She wasn't. My Employer wants the Fal'cie known as Barthandelus dead, and another named Orphan killed."

"then why are you here, and not going after them?"

"Because that's not my job. My job is to keep the balance of the dimensions intact. If Barthandelus, Dysley, and Orphan succeed, Cocoon will be destroyed, and Pulse is already uninhabited by humans. The two Pulse L'cie are already in Cocoon. That's not supposed to get out either. They're both important. They want nothing to do with Cocoon's Destruction. One wants to save the other, and the other doesn't want the first to worry."

"Where can they be found?"

"Couldn't say. Anything dealing with L'cie on the Loose has something to do with them for the time being. There are 3 L'cie in Bodhum right now, but two of them are just looking around. The Third is a resident. To my knowledge, all branded by the same Fal'cie."

"Then Serah is..."

"A Pulse Fal'cie. And by the way, any wire taps are currently disabled. I can easily emit an electromagnetic pulse. Any communication Devices are rendered useless because of it. It's a natural ability of mine. Bugs and any spy equipment are ineffective against me."

"So, you're the perfect Spy."

"I can be. Not my favorite area, I'll admit, but I can do it if I have to. As I said, Stealth Ops and Front line war battles are my forte. The Primarch is not aware of my presence, and I intend on keeping it that way until everything begins. The next thing to happen, from what I've been told will be something called a Purge. All the civilians in Bodhum, resident or not, will be sent to Pulse by PSICOM. I don't think I have to tell you what that really means."

"An Execution..."

"That's what I've been told." Jared admitted. "I have earned the Moniker White Shadow because no one knows what I'm up to until I tell them, or it's already done. Dragon Slayer is because of one of my previous jobs. I've killed being far more powerful than you claim L'cie to be. No one is truly immortal. It's physically impossible for anyone but a god or goddess to be Truly Immortal. But even then, the Dimensional Guardians can still surpass them."

"Why are you telling me this?" Amodar questioned.

"Maybe its because you care for one of the ones to get involved. Maybe because you're said person's superior. Maybe it's because you consider that one a daughter, and I thought you should know ahead of time. Really I don't know why I'm telling you this, and I probably shouldn't even be here."

Amodar then understood. "You're only doing this because you know I'd break down if I heard it from my own superior." It wasn't a question.

"You catch on quick, Lieutenant." Jared smirked. "Now, about my weapons." He placed Cerberus on the desk, which was oddly clean. "This is Cerberus. He's no ordinary gun. He's impossible to recreate entirely. The reason being: He's a Sentient Gun. He's also able to handle Magic being channeled through him to fire." He revealed the chamber. "As you can see, he can also use Conventional methods and ammo, but that's not needed to fire. There's also a few of his own abilities, which I can call on."

"So, it's a way to get around the Manadrive system?"

"Officially, yes. Honestly? Cerberus doesn't really give you anything. Some can use Magic without being a L'cie. I'm one of them. Granted, mine uses a different source, but I digress. Magic is Magic." He then explained what he told Serah. "Serah already knows this, as I talked to her earlier. She wasn't branded yet when I told her."

"Then she was branded while you were there?"

Jared nodded. "She's already in the care of one Snow Villiers. I _know_ he's trustworthy. It's in his soul. His heart. He doesn't care if Serah is branded. He will help her. No matter what. That's what I saw when I looked at him."

"Anyone else in the loop about it?"

"Not to my knowledge." Jared admitted.

After a few seconds of silence, Amodar continued. "And the sword?"

"Also sentient. His name is Reaper, and for good reason."

"It takes souls out of a body doesn't it?"

"Not quite." Jared stated. "If you hear me call out Mortal Danger, you don't block the strike. You _dodge_. If Mortal Danger hits, even if its just a scratch, it will drain your entire soul, and erase it, with the body following soon afterwards. The soul never leaves the body, either. Then there's the Shadow Cannon. That particular move is much more dangerous, being as it's long range. It's really just a purple beam about 2 feet in diameter. It's powerful, and he's proud of it. That's all that anyone really needs to worry about regarding him. Mortal Danger is in effect as long as the glow lasts, and it _must_ make direct contact."

"I see. Anything else I shouldn't know?" Amodar asked.

"Nothing really. Just know that the last time someone tried to use Reaper against me, they ended up having their arm fall out of its socket, and over a cliff." Jared told him.

"Still looking for a job? We need all we can get on the night of the fireworks. It's 10 days from now. I can get you a place to stay until then if you need one."

"Hmm... I'll do it. I'm just a hired hand that wants to keep the peace."

"Good to know. I'll see you then. Also, I ask that you come in tomorrow. I'll have Lightning show you around, and where you'll be patrolling. Be here at 0830. Do you know what that means?"

"8:30 in the morning. It's Military Based time." Jared put his weapons away, Reaper on his back, and Cerberus in the holster on his left leg.

"Quick question. You ambidextrous?" Amodar asked.

"Not naturally." Jared admitted, before getting up from the chair he found himself sitting in. "Long range weapons I use in my left hand, mainly because I use a bow sometimes. Most long range weapons I wield with my left hand, and I'm more accurate that way. I'm actually right handed. My right arm is stronger than my left naturally, but my left is more for finesse than strength. Right arm has both. It's why I use Reaper with my right, and Cerberus with my left."

"Alright, there's a Hotel on the North side, called Beach Summer."

"I stay unknown as much as possible. I'll be fine for one more night on my own. I could live in a Volcano if I had to. Hell, I'd prefer a Volcano to a Beach, actually." Jared shrugged. "Being Immune to Lava and Magma has its perks. Found out when I was pushed into the Magma of a Semi-active Volcano. I fell in, and everyone was surprised. They were about to chew the guy out for doing that, before I came up and told them I was fine. Not a scratch, or burn, on me. Lava is my friend. Has been since."

Jared just held out a hand with a smile, which Amodar grabbed, and they shook. "I'll be sure to update you on their progress when it begins." Jared whispered.

"Do I even want to know how?" As Jared was about to walk out the door, he spoke without turning. "Look at your hand." He then left, as the Lieutenant looked at saw the Mark of the Crimson Dragon.

_'What is this?'_

"_It allows me to contact you wherever you are. If I leave this realm, then it'll disappear, and I'd have to put another one there. Portals from here to another place in this realm, say one from Cocoon to Pulse, won't get rid of it. It'll fade when I leave this realm."_

Amodar looked around. _"Lieutenant, I'm not in the GC HQ right now. In fact, I'm on top of the 12 Story building in town. And for the record, this is Telepathy. The mark on your hand is the Medium. Not really my personal Mark, but it's one that, at the moment, only I can use aside from its progenitor, which isn't in this realm. No, it's nothing like the mark of a L'cie, either. Keep quite about it, please."_

"_I understand. Remember, 0830 tomorrow."_

"_Will do."_

Amodar sighed. _'I can tell this guy is going to be a pain in the ass. But if he can keep Lightning safe, I won't have any complaints.'_

-the next day-

Jared was walking into the GC HQ, and saw Amodar wasn't there. He checked the clock. "Huh. I'm 3 minutes early." He said, taking a seat on a plastic chair, before crossing his arms, and closing his eyes.

Amodar walked right in front of him at 8:32, which is when he opened his eyes to see him and Lightning right in front of him. "So, Lieutenant..." Jared was cut off.

"You look like the someone my sister mentioned was looking for someone else." Lightning stated coldly.

Jared just stared into her eyes. It was _not_ a look he wanted to see in her eyes. _'Looks too much like Rose. Putting herself at risk for her duty. Figures.'_ She narrowed her eyes. "What? Not gonna say anything?"

"What do you want me to say?" Jared raised an eyebrow. "I've only been in town a few days now. Not like I'm gonna enjoy working with someone that hides themselves behind a Ice Cold Personality." His voice was far too calm.

"Shadowwind, enough. Farron, he'll be working with you on your shift during the festival. Play nice, and you'll do fine." the large Lieutenant ordered.

"He'll only get in my..." She stopped feeling a blade at her neck. More specifically, her Jugular Vein.

"I can handle anything you throw at me, and then some." Everyone in the room was surprised at what was happening.

Lightning Farron had her own Gunblade at her neck by someone she was about to insult. "If I were you, I'd be careful who you insult." He took the blade away from her neck, and held out the handle. "Someone might take it the wrong way."

She just looked at him in slight surprise, before grabbing the handle. "You'll do." Was the only thing she said, as she got her gunblade back. She shifted it, which Jared memorized how, and put it in its sheath. He looked at the Lieutenant. "Yeah, she can handle most of what I know. I just hope she can keep up better than anyone else I've met. Very few have kept up with me when I actually try. Those that do, aren't even human. And by the way, that's all Natural speed."

"Farron, you're to show him around. And if I were you, I'd watch his blade. _Closely_."

"Yes sir." She looked at Jared, and they both left the HQ to go on a patrol. As they went on, Lightning explained the best places to observe though subtle. She didn't speak much, but what she did say, there was more to the words. He was able to deem the importance of each point she mentioned, and asked few questions, mainly to Clarify something.

She was slightly impressed, but not by much. They had been at it for 3 hours, when Jared felt something going on that shouldn't be. He turned his head, and saw it. Apparently, someone was being threatened with a knife. "My guess is, we should stop that." She looked, and then _recognized_ the person.

"That's obvious."

Jared didn't even respond. He took one step, and then disappeared. All the aggressors fell to the ground, clutching their stomachs. He was right in front of the girl. "Serah..." Lightning breathed out. _'How did he do that so fast?'_

"You okay miss?" Jared asked, before he recognized her. "Wait, Serah?"

"You... You're the one that asked to see Snow." She said, remembering him.

"Yeah, he got the message." He looked at Lightning who walked up to them both. "Impressive speed."

"That's nothing. I'm actually 7 times as fast as that. That's just fast enough not to be seen by Civvies." Jared told her. "I can run at mach 1 if I tried."

"You're bluffing." Lightning stated plainly.

"What could I gain from it?" Jared asked. "Besides, I can tell you're a "Take no BS" kind of person. When you've done half the things I have, then maybe you'd believe me, or at least understand. I somehow doubt that L'cie can keep up with me in pure speed. You'd be hard pressed to find _anyone_ that can outrun me. If you do, I'd be surprised. And I'm talking about with any enhancements." He shrugged.

Lightning frowned. _'What is with this guy? He's hiding something.'_ Her eyes narrowed. "Come on." The two walked off, and once out of earshot, Lightning spoke. "You have to do better than that to fool me."

"You won't believe me unless you see it. You couldn't even see me move. Even if you could see _something_ you'd only see a blur, at most. That was the point of doing it. That way, no one would know I hit each of them 3 to 7 times. I actually scrambled their Nervous Systems. They'll be fine in about... 3 hours." Jared shrugged. "Really, I see the Logic, but I always beat out Logic with Insanity. Insanity beats Logic, every time."

"You're saying you're insane?" Lightning questioned.

"Never said that." Jared didn't even look at her. "When it comes to plans, the ones I make would be called Bat-shit Insane. May not have worked with anyone else for years, but the last group I worked with always said that my plans were Insane. And yet they always asked _me _for plans. Do you know why?"

"Does it matter?"

"It always does." Jared told her, still calm in his voice. "The reason why they always ask me how to get something done, is because I get the best results possible. A Logical Strategy is a good one, I'll admit that firsthand. However, Insane strategies have a higher chance of getting the job done. It's as they say, 'it's only Crazy if it doesn't work'. And they _always_ work. I've taken a group of 10 into the Lion's Den,and we got out of it with no casualties, and the only one damaged was me, and _that _was part of the plan in the first place. When you've done half the things I have, you'd see that an Insane Plan is better than pure Logic."

"I don't believe you."

"Never thought you would." After Jared told her that, she went silent.

It wasn't long before he had memorized every point they passed, and created a mental map, with everything they passed. He continuously added to the map, ad they had continued until sundown, where they had returned to Bodhum GC HQ, where they found Lieutenant Amodar in the lobby, before he looked at them. "Good to see you two are back. Did you get a good feel of the town?"

Jared nodded. "It looks more peaceful than it feels."

"Care to explain?" Lightning hid her curiosity well physically. Jared wasn't fooled. He knew she was curious. Her statement earned notice from the Lieutenant, as well.

"Well, when I saw the people, all of them were happy with what they had, for the most part. A select few weren't, but those were few. But it's not them that I felt. If it were, I wouldn't have brought it up. Something in the air is more... Sadistic, then I had thought it would be. Definitely is more than it was yesterday." His voice was serious. No sign of playing around or jokes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the end of the world would begin in 9 to 11 days." A subtle message for Amodar, who raised an eyebrow.

"Care to explain?"

"It's what I felt. Instincts have saved me more than any plan I've ever come up with, or taken part in. Right now, that's what it's telling me from what I felt."

Amodar asked one more question. "Any chance it could be wrong?"

"If I am, then someone would have shown up to stop it. The odds of that happening are slim to none, unless a L'cie comes up to do the job, or I am able to find what's causing it beforehand." Another code, which Amodar noted. "Aside from that one feeling, everything else seemed fine."

Lightning and Amodar just looked at him, before the big man nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. If it happens, you'll have full rights to say "I Told you so"."

"And I probably won't want to say it." Jared replied. "But if I'm right, and that _is_ the beginning of the end, I believe it would be best if you take my advice and resign, but not unless it happens. You don't want to be around when shit hits the fan. _Especially_, if I end up fighting against whatever threat comes up."

"I'll keep that in mind, but it won't happen. Can't leave my Division unattended."

Jared turned around, and walked towards the door. "If I'm right, the Division would become PSICOM's pawn when it does." He went out the door, not even seeing their faces.

Lightning looked at her superior. "Sir, just who was that guy? Why is he _really _here?"

"That, I'm afraid, I don't know. He's more of an enigma than anything else I've seen. Even the Fal'cie are less confusing than him." Amodar sighed, before turning around. "Come with me."

When they went into his office, he told her to have a seat, which she did. "What did you find out about him?"

So she told him. He was fast enough to avoid being seen, claimed to be faster, and believed that Insanity beats Logic. Everything he told her, along with what he did to those harassing Serah. Which she finished, he sighed. "Lightning, I want you to know something that he told me."

"Sir?"

"I believe that it's highly possible that he told you nothing but the truth. He probably doesn't think you believe him, either."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Have you gone nuts?" She asked him, her voice calm. "Sure, he's fast, but everything about him just seems... wrong. It's like he doesn't belong in Cocoon."

"I wouldn't doubt you on that. That's why I'm putting him as your partner until after the coming Festival."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen carefully, Farron." he never called her by her last name in private, unless it were a serious matter. Like, Life or Death, serious. "I'm doing this for your benefit, and for his. Frankly, I don't whether or not I should believe what he told me, since what he's claimed _should_ be impossible, but I couldn't find any lies in what he said. You have a separate mission alongside all of this, and it's something that applies when you're off duty as well."

"Sir?" She was back in business mode.

"I want you to watch over him. He claims that 2 Sanctum Fal'cie are going to manipulate the Primarch to bring about the Destruction of Cocoon, or maybe the Primarch is the one doing the Manipulation. He outright admitted to me that he was sent here to make sure that the right side won the upcoming conflict. I want you to see if there's any sign of him wanting to topple the Sanctum, but also make sure that Serah stays _away_ from the Vestige for the time being."

"If I may, what does the Vestige have to do with him?"

"He claims that Serah has been branded while in the Bodhum Vestige, and that he _can't_ be branded by a Fal'cie. I want you to watch over him, so I put you as his partner. Earn his trust if you can this quickly. Take careful note of what he says, and when the festival is over, let me know what you found out."

"Serah came home with Bandages around her arm yesterday. She claimed to be fine, but..."

"If she is branded, it'll be under them, most likely." Amodar stated. "He must not know you're watching over him. I feel like I should trust him, but with what he said, I can't be sure. As such, I'm withholding judgment until you give your opinion and what you find. See if you can find anything out on him personally. Those are your orders. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Give him a place in your house, if you can spare it. You want him to trust you enough to let you know the truth. No matter what he says, I want to know, whether it is Logical or not."

"Understood." _'I don't like it, but I understand.'_

"I know you won't like the fact that I'm ordering you to share a house with someone else, but it only temporary." Amodar stated.

"You know me too well." Lightning sweatdropped.

"I suppose I do. Get going. Find him, and take him home."

Lightning sighed, got up, and turned to leave the room. "If Serah is branded, wait until she tells you."

She stopped at the door as she heard this. "Is that an order, sir?"

"It's merely advice."

"Advice noted." Lightning then walked out.

Amodar sighed. _'This is gonna be a long few days. I really hope he's wrong.'_

"_So do I, Amodar. By the way, did you pick up the hints I dropped?"_

Amodar straightened up. _'I forgot about that.'_

"_I know you did. Don't worry, I won't let on, but I will test her myself. She needs to be able to handle worse than I can dish out. And you didn't answer my question."_

Amodar sighed. _"Yeah, I got them. Your saying it's going to start around the festival?"_

"_PSICOM is going to get involved that day, if things progress the same way. Between now and then, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2 Pulse L'cie try attacking Kujata, the Fal'cie in the Eruide Gorge. If something _does_ happen there, PSICOM will get involved. I ask that you be careful of that. I've done quite a bit of research myself, and PSICOM is _already_ on my shit list. As I said before, if PSICOM fires any kind of weapon and I'm in the area, I'm taking them down. I'm a Rune Soldier, and a Dragon Knight. I protect those that can't. The only reason I'm not a normal knight, instead of a Dragon Knight, is because I have the blessing of a Dragon within me. This also allows me the usage of Magic in my Dragon's Element. Wind, Lightning and Dark are his elements. He's also one of the reasons I'm so fast."_

Amodar sighed at that. _"You do realize that I don't like everything you're throwing at me, right?"_

"_Of course. I haven't lied yet, though. I just know that no one would believe me through simple Common Sense."_

"_Then why say anything?"_ That had somehow confused Amodar. Why tell anyone something they wouldn't believe?

"_The Truth is the Truth. No matter how outlandish it may seem, the Truth is the Truth."_ He heard Jared tell him. _"Besides, I find that Common Sense has become so rare it's a goddamn superpower."_

"_You know, you have a point on that."_ Amodar had to admit that much.

"_One of the reasons I said it. Anyway, if I'm going to tell the truth, and it seems bad to whoever I'm talking to, they wouldn't believe the truth even if I told them. Thus, why lie when they're not going to believe you anyway?"_

Amodar had to give him that. _"You make sense with Logic, but with what she told me about you..."_

"_Even Insanity can be explained by Logic. Logic and Insanity are actually on two different spectrums. I use both, not just one or the other. One of the reasons why I was a Royal aide in the past. People think that those who are Insane can't function in society. I'm living proof that they're wrong. If anyone ever went into my mind, they'd see that, though I'm certifiably insane, I have enough common sense to only show it when I need to."_

"_Then why come to me for some temporary work? The Insane are not allowed to work for the Military."_

"_I once heard a saying that I took to heart: It's only crazy if it doesn't work. Do you know what that means?"_

"_I'm guessing that some of the more outlandish plans work better than what would normally be used?"_

"_That's another way of putting it. Really, the strategies I come up with are Bat shit Insane on paper. That much I'll freely admit. However, they also work with minimal or no casualties or injuries. As long as everyone involved follows the plan I laid out, they'll be where they are supposed to end up. IF the plan says they die, they'll die. If the plan says they'll live, they live. So, in other words: If it works, does it matter if it's Crazy or Insane?"_

Amodar blinked a few times. _"That is a really good argument on that subject. Mind sharing a few you put into action?"_

"_Maybe later. Lightning is coming. She looks confused. Probably still looking for me. Hmm... Actually, get some rest tonight. I'll plant a Mental Seed to make your Dream really a Third Person POV of one of them. You'll remember the entire thing."_

"_A what?"_

"_Just know that, when you fall asleep, you'll look like you're in an area that is nothing like you're used to or you feel asleep. Oh, and I doubt you'll be able to be woken up until it's done. The last time I did this, the person didn't wake up from having the blunt end of a spear shoved up his ass, and then burned alive. And no, I didn't do either. I'd have used Reaper. Not a spear."_

"_Uh... Okay... I'll leave you to it."_

-with elsewhere-

Lightning was fuming. She couldn't seem to find her charge anywhere. "Where the hell is he?" She mumbled.

Jared, who was sitting in the branch of a nearby tree, answered her. "Dunno. I'm new here, remember?" Lightning turned to him, surprised that she didn't see him, or hear him. It was like he wasn't there until he spoke.

"How did you..."

"I'm not called the White Shadow for no reason." Jared said, jumping down. "So, who you looking for?"

"You. Lieutenant Amodar wants you to stay with me until your job here is over."

"Saw that coming. Might as well get going." He shrugged, and walked behind her and to the left. She noted the position was one that he could strike anyone that tried to attack her, or simply defend. It confused her. _'I know he has battle training, that much is obvious from what he did to those thugs. But tactical training, too? I'll have to take note of this, too. I don't trust him.'_

It took them 6 minutes to get to her place, which was a lot more advanced than his home was. _'Comes with being in Cocoon, I guess.'_

"Light! You're home... and with Jared?" Serah was confused, but that faded. "Come on, I want you to meet someone!"

"Serah, now isn't the time for that." Jared watched as Lightning relaxed quite a bit when she saw Serah. _'Good to know that's accurate.'_

"But sis..."

"Look, I take it you've met this guy?"

"Yeah, he was looking for a friend of mine. I took him there and he got the message, but... what is he doing here?" She asked curious.

"He's staying with us until the festival. Lieutenant Amodar's orders."

"She doesn't trust me." Jared commented. "As such, she doesn't like me... much."

"I don't like this at all, but orders are orders."

"Just like a Target's a Target." Jared shrugged. "Life's simple when you put it like that."

Lightning hesitated, hearing that line. "You know that line?"

"Of course. I used it myself, several times in fact. It makes taking out bounties a _lot_ easier on the stomach." Jared admitted, before looking around, and found an empty spot on the wall. He took Reaper off his back, and sat down in said spot. "I'm gonna rest up."

"Shouldn't you use the bed?"

"I'll be fine here. Besides, I find beds too lumpy for my tastes. I'd probably move onto the floor, anyway."

Lightning blinked. _'Was he so used to roughing it that he prefers it?'_

"How often do you travel?" Serah asked, curious.

"As often as I can." Jared admitted. "I go where the wind takes me, mostly. I don't like staying in one place for too long. I prefer traveling, and the wilderness. There's nothing quite like a breeze to me."

"Oh. Well, I was about to make dinner. Could you wait until then?" Serah asked, causing his eyes to snap open. "I'll take your reaction as a yes."

"Mind if I help?" Jared asked, getting up. Reaper and Cerberus were still in the same spot right next to where he sat down.

"Oh, I don't know..."

"You find ways to cook when you travel so much."

"Well, if you're okay with it, then sure." She lead him to the kitchen, and they worked together to make the meal.

As it was served, Lightning saw that it was a lot more luxurious than they could afford. "What is this?"

"Shrimp de la Casa." Jared said, pointing to the pasta. "I"m actually surprised you had all the ingredients for it, really. Try it." He told her, as he took a bite himself.

Serah tried it, and her eyes widened, before looking at him in surprise. "This is really good!"

"Thanks, I guess. I don't normally cook on a stove, but that doesn't mean I can't cook at all." Jared admitted.

When Lightning tried it, she was slightly impressed. "Let it be known that your cooking is better than mine." She then realized what she said, but was too late to take it back. Jared simply shrugged it off, while Serah sent her a teasing smile. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Jared stopped right there, and looked at her innocently sweet smile as she spoke. He looked at Lightning, and she nearly glared at him. As he gulped down his food, he spoke again. "If she tries to get you to take me on a date... I don't know what I'll do."

"Not gonna happen." She retorted, heatedly.

They both looked at Serah. "Then why are you agreeing with it?"

Jared shook his head and sighed. "Devious you may be, but you got nothing on an old friend of mine. He's not called the Demon Prank Master for no reason. Setting us up together is not something he would do. No, he'd do worse. And I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest."

"You're full of it." Lightning commented.

"Believe what I say or not. It's your choice. He's only gotten me once, and that... I'm not even going to speak of. Great friend he may be, major pain in the butt he is."

"How major?"

"Enough to annoy the hell out any gods you may come across. Get him going, and he could annoy even the most mindless of beasts." Jared admitted. "Not even I could do that. Sure I can piss off a god or two, but never annoy them." He continued to eat, as did Serah. Lightning followed up shortly.

"Still, this _is_ good." Lightning said. "Perhaps you can help by cooking as well."

Jared shrugged. "Might as well. It'll help my mind."

The casual admittance of his skills would have thrown her off, if she wasn't supposed to figure him out. _'This guy... is either stupid, or a really good actor.'_

As he finished his plate, he rinsed it off, cleaned it up with a small Electrostatic Discharge through his hand, and dried it, before putting it in what seemed to be a strainer. "Now, I'm gonna get some rest. I'll have to recover a bit. I get up early, so if I'm not here when either of you wake up, I'm probably exercising outside. And if you feel any earthquakes, I must apologize in advance. I get a little carried away sometimes." He walked over to Reaper and Cerberus, and sat down, cross-legged, with Reaper in his lap.

Lightning didn't think he was really asleep, before she walked up to him and clapped beside his ear. Not even a twitch.

_'Either he hasn't slept for a while, or is just weak. I'm betting on the former.'_

She eyed the Gun. It was different. _'Three barrels... This must be Cerberus. Lieutenant Amodar said it was Sentient.'_ She had picked it up mid-thought.

"_**You're damn right, I am. Now, why did you pick me up?"**_

Lightning dropped it out of reflex. "What the..."

Serah moved over. "What happened?"

"Please tell me I'm hallucinating..."

"Huh?"

"I picked up the gun, and it _talked_." Lightning was _actually_ scared. It surprised Serah, who picked it up. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"_**So, you're Serah?"**_ Unlike her sister, Serah just looked around, before looking at the gun.

"You talk?"

"_**Of course I do! That's what Sentient Weapons do, you know?"**_

"Sorry, I'm not that familiar with guns, like my sister is."

"_**Yeah, could you tell her not to drop me next time? Seriously, I may be made out of Dragon Scales and high grade steel, but that still hurt."**_

"Who made you?" Serah asked, curious.

"Serah... who are you talking to?"

"This guy." She pointed at the gun.

"_**My name is Cerberus, for one. To answer your question, as I know from Jared, you're really curious, the one who forged me was named Bill, but Jared put me together. It was... 35 years ago, give or take."**_

"35 years ago? But... he doesn't look a day older than 22." Serah looked at Jared.

"_**Would you believe me if I said he's actually 54?"**_

"That old, and still looks that good?"

"_**He's gonna get a lot older, Serah. Believe me. Don't tell anyone, but Jared's actually ageless."**_

"Okay, now you're just being silly."

"_**I wish I were. If I were, then I'm sure Reaper wouldn't have accepted him."**_ She looked at the sword. **_"Yeah, the sword. Don't touch him. Only Jared can hold him. Anyone else will feel like they're carrying 3 Royal Castles, each big enough to cover what we've seen of Bodhum."_**

"That much weight? How does he hold it?"

"_**Because for him, Reaper is weightless. As I said, Reaper is Sentient. He doesn't like you, you can't even lift him. If he lets you, you'll find that he'll stick by you for a while... but he will annoy the heck out of your sanity."**_

Serah giggled. "I guess. Anything you can tell me about him?" _'Maybe what happened in the Vestige after I passed out, and who those two were...'_

"_**For the record, I heard that thought. And yes, he knows of them. He met one of them before. In a nutshell, they were the ones that were crystallized in the chamber. Fal'cie branded you, and then tried to brand him."**_ Serah's breath hitched in her throat._ **"Another friend intervened, and stopped him from getting a focus. Really, he'll gain power as a L'cie, but the trade off was losing all but his natural Elements, and abilities. He's down to maybe 20% of his full skill. Maybe less. His physical ability didn't go down any, though. I can tell that much."**_

"But if he was..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"_**Look, if he was worried about it, then he would've said something. Honestly? He's not worried in the slightest about himself. He never is. Anyway, for all intents and purposes, he's really 22 years old, and any science would tell you that. His job keeps him that way."**_

"His job?"

"_**Ask him about it. I'm not at liberty to say."**i_

"Well, can you tell me where he's from?"

"_**Apparently, a place called the Prime Realm. That's what it's called anyway. There, Cocoon and Pulse are little more than fictional locations. He is a messenger and servant of the gods, but is far more than they are. Helps when you've beat one down, already."**_

"He beat down a god?" This earned Lightning's attention.

"_**Yeah, he blew the bastard up. Seriously, God or not, getting rid of every part of their essence will kill them. It IS possible to kill an immortal through complete vaporization."**_

"Are you sure?"

"_**I saw the whole thing happen."**_

"Really? You saw it?"

"_**I hate repeating myself."**_ Serah heard a sigh. **_"Just put me down next to him. I'll be fine. And I won't tell him I spoke to you if you don't. Deal?"_**

"Okay. I don't say you talked to me, you won't either?"

"_**That would cover it."**_

"Hmm... Deal." Serah put him down, and looked at Lightning. "Light, I'll tell you what I found out. He's pretty interesting."

"I'd appreciate that. I have to work with him until after the festival." The older Farron replied.

"Okay." Serah nodded. They actually got some sleep later on, but Lightning could not help but be worried about what Serah had found out and told her.

00000x00000

Chapter complete.


	2. Chapter 2

I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!

And you like to read it, so LET'S GET IT STARTED!

**Chapter 2**

It has been a few days, and Lightning has been watching all of Jared's moves. The way he moved, the way he talked, even how he fought. If he ended up being a threat to Cocoon, they'd need all the information they could get.

Still, it was actually 2 days until the festival, and her reason for trying to figure him out was no longer the same.

Jared was just so confusing. One moment he could be so serious, until someone was in trouble. It was like a switch was flipped, and he went into "battle mode", as she named it. In short, there was Three "Modes" that she named them.

First, There was resting mode. He wasn't all that talkative, but a lot more calm than anyone else. The second was Battle Mode. This is what he used to fight, and every time he went in that direction, it sent a shiver down her spine. He never killed anyone, but she knew. She _knew_ he could have. She also knew she didn't stand a chance if she went up against him in an all out fight. Finally, there was, what she called, the "Parental Mode" which both confused her and impressed her.

After seeing his Battle Mode, seeing the Parental Mode completely blew her out of the water. He comforted little kids, and helped them find their parents, as if he were a concerned father. Every time, she noticed the sigh held some kind of emotion. Envy, she assumed.

Rest Mode was his usual, even while Patrolling, but he never let down his guard, even if he looked like he was relaxed. While in Rest Mode, he was like the wind, she guessed. He was too changeable, unpredictable, and a complete enigma. While in Battle Mode, he was a raging Inferno, yet controlled as Water. In Parental Mode, which she was still confused about how it came around, he was much more comforting than even a Hot Spring for tensed muscles. It was like he was a Light for everyone around him, and he couldn't help but go into this mode when he saw a depressed child.

Still, it was what she saw this morning that clinched it for her.

She had woken up early, and saw that Jared was already up, and standing on one hand, doing push ups. That was one thing, but it was nothing compared to what she heard.

"976, 977, 978..." At that, and the fact that he hadn't even broken a sweat, she was convinced. _'Note to self: Don't piss this guy off.'_

She also made a note of it for later. The sun hadn't even come out yet, and wouldn't for 2 more hours, which surprised her. He was this active this early, and still performed at the level he did every did. He was at it for another Hour and a half, before coming in, and then seeing Lightning at the table. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked.

"I got enough."

"Maybe for me. I can go 3 days on 6 hours of sleep, but that's not healthy, even for me. I only really need half the amount of sleep average humans need, but I'm anything but Average. Sometimes, I wonder if I even classify as one."

"Care to explain?" Lightning had begun to open up to him, mainly out of curiosity. He was different, he didn't care whether she was male or female, as she was a good warrior. He constantly said that a girl could beat a guy if they wanted to, without using Cheap Shots. Anything is possible. Hell, he was taught by one, which was a bit of a shocker to her. Her voice had denoted the change in attitude over time, and he was inwardly surprised she opened up this quickly.

"Well, you haven't seen them, mainly because I have no need to use them, but I've had strange abilities from the day I was born. Over time, I had to figure out how to control them so I didn't bring a tornado down on accident, or start a hurricane, which I _have _done. I had to leave my family, my friends, and everyone I cared for. All to protect them, just like you became a soldier to protect your sister. Being as I never knew my father, it was quite a shock, to be honest. My guess is, I got them from him. Heck, the only thing I know of him is that I have his last name. That's it."

"Looks like we actually have something in common."

"More than you think, I'd wager." Jared commented. "Besides, I know you've been watching over me. I think you're taking Serah's words that night a little too seriously."

Lightning sighed, and then decided to wing it. "You're an enigma. You don't go by the book, you don't do anything others would expect you to do, and when someone thinks they figured you out, you pull some kind of Bullshit move, and they end up rethinking their own thoughts. I guess the Curiosity Serah has is Genetic, because it's got me trying to figure _you_ out."

"And you're too proud to simply ask." Jared told her, causing a frown to appear on her face. "Honestly, I'm not surprised at that. To be honest, I'm more surprised that your curiosity is actually getting the better of you. Serah, I can understand. You, on the other hand, can hold it back quite a bit. You're good at hiding it from most, but when you're around someone for long enough, you tend to learn a thing or two."

"Then perhaps you could tell me what you've figured out about me." She hid her smirk at the challenge.

"Well, for one, you're good at hiding your emotions. I'd say you've been doing so for almost 10 years." She lost the feeling of wanting to smirk. _'How did he know?'_

"You've closed yourself off from almost everyone else in the city, and can't stand the Stubborn, Reckless, Hero type. The only reason you haven't completely cut yourself off is because of Serah." Lightning just decided to listen, and see what he found out. So far, he's gotten everything right. "The reason you haven't cut her off too, I don't know the actual reason, but it's probably the same reason you're good at hiding your emotions. You want to protect her, and as such, you do your best to make sure she doesn't worry about you. Everything you, everything you've done this much, is more for Serah than yourself. You probably feel like your problems are nothing, when it concerns Serah's safety. If I had to make a guess as to why, I'd say someone precious to you both had asked you to take care of her on their deathbed. Probably a parent, as I haven't heard a thing about them, and there are no pictures in the house that I've seen." He sighed, before continuing.

"You also don't like anyone that gets too close to her. It's double the reason you don't like Snow. As it stands, you've got the battle skill to do just about anything regarding combat, but you chose to go into the Guardian Corps, because you don't have to be relocated, and can watch over Serah. As it stands, if it puts Serah in any kind of Danger, you'd say no, unless it were a Direct Order from your superior. Although if it came to choosing between saving Serah as a L'cie or following orders and killing her, I'd place my bet on you doing the former. Your mind may say to follow orders, but if it came down to it, and it happened, I'd say you'd go after her and make sure whatever focus she had would be fulfilled, so at the very least, you wouldn't have to kill her as a Ci'eth."

Aside from that last part, which actually had her thinking on what Amodar had told her. To be honest, she had thought about it, mainly because Amodar had pointed out the possibility. When, or if, Serah had told her, she would probably say that she'd follow orders, if she were given them, and he also knew this. Even if he didn't say it, she knew that he knew what she'd say. Then she heard him again. "That's about all I got, that doesn't involve your skill with that Gunblade of yours. Now that I'm done, how close was I to the mark."

Lightning just looked at him. "I'll admit it. You're scary." At the raised eyebrow he gave, she continued. "You could kill anyone in the city with utmost ease, but you don't. You act like a father at times, and it's confusing. You're more observant than even I am, and I'll admit that. I didn't think you'd be able to figure all that out this quickly. Everything you said matched up... aside from the Stubborn, Reckless Hero type. That was the only thing wrong with what you said."

"Uh huh..." Jared said. "If you met Dart, you'd be singing a different tune. But I guess the only reason you don't like Snow is because he has Serah's Heart."

"He doesn't have it, and if I have anything to say about it, he never will." Lightning sent a look his way, that he understood.

"I've seen Snow a few times around town. He's too much like Dart, to be honest. He _is_ the Hero type, Stubborn and Reckless fit him, but I wouldn't really use Stubborn. I'd use Determined there, but the two are virtually interchangeable. Dart may have been a bit dense, and naïve, but he _knows_ what it's like to lose your parents to something you could never beat, even with a thousand years of experience. He knew this, but didn't care. If it meant protecting those he held precious to him, he didn't care if he had to face off and kill a god of Destruction. If someone he considers precious to him was in danger from them, he'd do everything he could to stop them before they could do a thing. If they had them hostage, he go after them, and take them back, no matter the cost, or the opposition. And he'd succeed. I traveled alongside him for a year, and it happened. I almost pity Melbu for pissing Dart off the way he did."

"I've never heard of this Melbu."

"I'd be surprised if you have." Jared shrugged. "Let's just say he could put the public views on Pulse L'cie to shame, and leave it at that."

Lightning then considered something. "You always say "Public Views on L'cie" instead of just L'cie. Why is that?"

Jared shrugged. "To be honest, I don't agree with what everyone says about L'cie. Sure, if they don't complete their focus, they turn into something bad, but the power they wield isn't. Cocoon fears Pulse L'cie because of what they did in the War of Transgression some 500 years ago. But I also noticed something else, that makes me think otherwise, and a Saying I once heard was what got me thinking it may be possible. A lot of things were omitted about it."

"Such as?" this had her attention, as she was finding out things she'd never be able to otherwise.

"Well, the saying I mentioned went like this: History is written by the victors." Seeing the implications, she actually looked in thought. "Cocoon won the War, that much is certain. But the history books don't say who started the war, or why. They also say that Pulse is evil for attacking Cocoon, which I don't think is the case either. Superior Technology or not, Cocoon doesn't have the resources _now_ to wipe out an entire military, and even with an Army of L'cie, I doubt they could do that. Something tells me that Ragnarok had turned on Pulse, and wiped them all out. Enemy or ally, didn't matter anymore. They wanted the fighting to stop, so it eliminated anything that could keep the war going. Namely, the L'cie of both sides. It's not a concrete theory, but it's the one I have on the subject."

As Lightning thought about it, she saw that he had a point. They really _didn't_ know what truly happened, and the saying also had a point. Plus, she had also noticed, though only recently, that, if it makes the Sanctum look bad, it never happened. Looking back, she had to admit that. The Guardian Corps was still for the people first, and she respected that. "That's an interesting theory, granted that it's all based on guesses."

"To be honest, I've learned to trust my instincts. They've saved my hide more times than I care to count, and it also lead me here. Finding out about the festival just made me want to stay for it. I told Serah I had a message for Snow when I first saw her, and I did give him a message, but it wasn't one I was asked to give him. I just made something up."

"Care to tell me what you made up?"

"'Be careful of Lightning. They're too Temperamental.' Honestly, it was only half made up. I had seen him before in what I tend to call Premonitions, and it showed him being struck by Lightning while being surrounded by Ice, and 2 girls that each resembled a bike of sorts. I knew he was named snow, but the two girls, I found out were actually something called an Eidolon. The girls used ice as well, but that's about as much as I could get from it before it left. Now that I'm here, and have seen a few things, I'd say that I could have something to do with you, but I just don't know."

Lightning, though, wasn't entirely convinced. "Any of these Premonitions show me?"

"Not really. One showed Serah, that much I'll admit." He put a finger to his chin, which she found was out of place. "Thinking back on it, it had you and Snow over her, both worried, but she was on her back. I also saw dark skinned guy with Black hair in an Afro and two handguns, a small boy with Silver hair, which I've seen around the city, and a Girl with Red hair in two ponytails. You were all in the same area, but the Afro man was looking a bit depressed, and looked about ready to Shoot Serah because of her Brand. It never happened, but I didn't hear anything they said. If I had to use that one as a guide, the Brand would be right underneath the bandages on her arm."

Lightning's eyes widened slightly, before narrowing. "And you didn't mention this before?"

"Two reason as to why. Number 1, would you have believe me if I did?" Lightning blinked at that, but he didn't let her speak. "Number 2, you never really asked."

That clinched it for her. He was an idiot. Smart, observant, strong, and in control of himself, but he was still an idiot. "I may seem like an idiot, but that's to the human mindset."

_'Is he reading my mind?'_ She thought.

"Don't have to read your mind. Your face says it all."

Her eyebrow twitched. "That's annoying."

"I know." Jared shrugged. "Just be glad I'm not finishing your thoughts before you do. I _can_ do that, you know?"

It wasn't long before he turned his head towards Serah's room. "Serah just woke up."

"And how would you know?"

"Her breathing patterns." Jared told her. "It's pretty easy to decipher when one is as attuned to the Wind as much as I am." He then got up. "I noticed that you haven't gotten breakfast, and neither have I. Any requests?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm... Alright then. I'll wing it." He went through the kitchen, surprisingly not making much noise, with everything he was doing, even though most would make at least _five_. He then started the stove, and a Skillet appeared, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. "Where'd you get that pan?"

"Special Ability. If it has metal in it, I can make it through sheer force of will, as long as I understand the complexities behind it. Easy example, I could make a Throwing knife with it, but without knowing how to use it, it's damn near useless. Also, without knowing how it would act in any given situation, it could very well shatter when I threw it. Guns are the same way, as are swords. It all depends on my force of will, and knowledge of the object in question." he explained as he was cooking. "Honestly, I can make just about anything, but the Knowledge of the item, what it does, how it acts, and even things down at the Molecular level are necessary knowledge. I mean, I could make a Laptop, but without knowing what's going on with the circuitry, it'll be useless, and might not even turn on. Do you understand?"

Lightning was thinking about the implications of the ability. The ability to make any weapon was absurd, but she could see the drawback. It required intensive amounts of knowledge on the weapon, but then something else occurred to her. "If you make a weapon, would you automatically have the ability to use it, even if you never have?" The answer to that question was a big part of that.

"Caught that didn't you?" She couldn't see it, but he smirked. "No. You have to learn to use it properly. You won't have the experience to use it, so you'd have to train using the weapon. Even if you know how it acts, if you don't have the physical ability to handle the weapon, it's useless. The potential applications with it is virtually limitless, but the drawbacks mean a lot of time is spent studying things, and even more time to get your body used to be able to handle what you bring out. It's probably the only ability I have that I would ever abuse outside of battle."

Lightning took careful note of it, and nodded. "That makes a lot more sense. Any chance you could make an Airship with it?"

"Of course."

"How do you know it'll work, though?"

"Because I've done it before." Jared said that as if it were an everyday thing. "And if you're wondering how I can talk about it as if it were the weather, I've been desensitized to the fact that a lot of Insane and Crazy things happen around me. After a while, you get used to it."

Lightning just sighed. "You're troublesome, you know that?"

"Maybe." Jared shrugged, while working on Breakfast. "Then again, and this is something I'd tell you is something that you'd follow based on what I've seen, 'Those who break the rules are trash, _however_ those who abandon their family are worse than Trash.' Care to explain what that means and why I think you would understand it?"

It hit Lightning like a bolt of... well, Lightning. _'No way... He'd sooner protect what's precious to him than follow the rules?'_

"You're probably wondering if I'd break the rules if it meant saving my family." He correctly guessed her thoughts. "The answer is yes, I would. If I'm gonna be trash either way, I'd rather have my family alive. And I believe you would too."

Lightning just nodded at that. He wasn't even looking at her when he spoke. "And that's why I respect you. It's not because of your skills in a fight, its not because you're a strong woman, but rather, it's because you have followed this saying for a long time. Serah has been your only family for a long time. You protect her with everything you have, and then some. She's the reason you've fought so far. _That_ is why I respect you. The other factors are bonuses, but that's the clincher. Lieutenant Amodar is the same way, and I respect _him_ for it."

Serah came out, and saw him making breakfast. Lightning was just sitting at the table still. "Hey Light. Jared."

"Morning." jared replied.

"Good morning, Serah." Lightning had confusion in her voice, and didn't hide it.

"What's confusing you, Light?" Serah asked, curiosity in hers.

"Probably what I've been talking to her about this morning. Nothing you need to worry about, Serah." Jared answered.

"Like what?"

"Let's just say we went off on some Wild Tangents and she's probably wondering how it ended up going the way it did, and leave it at that."

Serah thought about it, but nodded. "Alright then. I'll leave it alone." this prompted a raised eyebrow from Lightning, and a slight pause from Jared. Not even he thought that would work. Lightning was in the same boat, but neither commented. "But I would like to know later on."

And there's the catch that they saw coming. They both chuckled in response, as well.

It took 10 more minutes of cooking before Jared served them all. It was simple Bacon and Eggs. They ate it, and none of them talked with their mouth full. Serah talked the most, though. It was usually this way in the mornings.

Jared was silent, mostly. And this actually confused Lightning somewhat. He always made a comment or two in the conversations between her and Serah, but this time, he hadn't.

No, this time, he was talking to Cerberus.

"_**You like her."**_

_'Cerberus, are you going to do the same thing as Paku did with Jenna?'_

"_**Why are you denying it?"**_

_'Never said I was.'_

"_**So you're admitting you like her?"**_

_'The jury is still out on this one.'_

"_**You lie~."**_

_'All this time, you think that you know me. I respect her, but I wouldn't fuck her into next week... Not yet, at least.'_

"_**So you admit you would!"**_

_'As I said, the jury is still out on this one.'_ He then noticed that Lightning was looking at him in barely visible confusion.

"_**And you know when she's looking at you."**_

_'Being on my own so much, you pick up shit like that easily.'_ "I'm fine. Just talking with Cerberus."

This earned Serah's attention, and a raised eyebrow from Lightning. "It really does talk?"

"Of course he does. He _is_ sentient."

"What is he saying?" Serah asked with a small glint in her eyes.

He noticed the glint, and immediately recognized it. "You've been talking to him haven't you?"

"Why would I do that?" Serah pouted.

"You're the only one in the house that thinks Lightning and I belong together. I don't think it's wise myself, and I couldn't tell you her opinion on the matter." Jared had an eyebrow raised. "And considering the fact he's pestering me about that, and trying to get me to do just that..." He held an open hand, as if pointing at her. "I'm pretty sure Lightning can see why I'd think that."

Lightning just sighed. "If you must know, the Jury is still out on that one."

Jared blinked at the soldier. "Funny, that's the same thing I told him." They blinked at each other a few times, before getting up, a cleaning up their plates, and walking out. Jared had managed to take a shower, and was wearing a type of armor, which she hadn't seen him get or in at all. She raised an eyebrow at it. "Strange uniform."

"Well, I haven't actually used it in about 2 weeks. Believe it or not, I felt a bit naked over that time as well. I had worn it too often, I guess." Jared admitted. It was Crimson colored Half plate armor, with patches or Gold on it. There was also the Symbol of the Crimson Dragon over his heart on the front, two slots on the back, one of which held Reaper, there was also a compartment on his left leg, where he put Cerberus. He also had the same leather boots as usual.

"That armor looks worn out."

"I've had it for years. Most armor wouldn't have lasted this long. I've kept it in somewhat good condition, all thing considered, as even with the methods used to make it, it shouldn't be in this condition after as long as I've used it, and what it went through. You'd think going into Lava, getting hit by Lightning, and almost drowned would tear something like this apart. Something tells me I'll have to wear this from hear on out. That it would be a good idea."

Lightning didn't even comment as the two went out, and went towards the HQ, where they were going to see Amodar. When they got there, they saw someone from PSICOM talking to him, before he turned to see that Jared was right there. "He fits the description." The PSICOM soldier stated, pointing at Jared.

"He's a civilian traveler." Amodar stated.

The soldier ignored Amodar and walked up to Jared. "You have been requested by Lieutenant Colonel Nabaat of PSICOM." The grunt in green armor stated.

"Sorry, but I must decline. Besides, I'm just a civilian that hasn't stayed in one place more than a week in the last five years. I'm sure that this Colonel has better things to do with their time than talk to me, such as coordinate her subordinates, with what I heard about the Eruide Gorge." The PSICOM soldier tensed slightly, but Jared noticed. "And no, I wasn't there. You could ask Lieutenant Amodar about that."

Just then, a female voice spoke up behind him. "Considering the fact that most of our work has to deal with you, and not what happened there, I think it's a double purpose." Jared and Lightning turned around. "Your black haired friend told me about you, after all. Said you'd kill all of us before we captured her."

Jared just raised an eyebrow. "Her? The only girl that I know of with Black hair and consider a friend I haven't seen in years. What makes you think I know this person?" His eyes didn't show anything. There were a void, and the Colonel was surprised she couldn't read anything from him. Not even his eyes.

"All things considered, do you really think you could do anything?"

"Such as?" The talk between the two was confusing, but also drew a crowd, which the woman noted.

"This should be kept quiet, don't you think?"

Jared then raised his eyebrow. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it here. Besides, a Civilian such as myself shouldn't be told Classified information, even if it dealt with said civilian, so why would the subject be told in private?"

He had her there, but she wasn't going to back down. Instead she made a slight gesture, which Jared noticed, along with the PSICOM grunt pointing the gun at Jared, before it disappeared, as did Jared. "What the..."

Lightning just looked at Jared, who was inspecting the gun, which was previously in the soldier's hands, more out of curiosity than anything else. "Hmm... Pretty sturdy, lightweight, probably a Titanium alloy..." Everyone turned to Jared, who was sitting in a chair against the wall, which was a good 30 feet from his previous position. He was checking out the gun like a kid in the candy shop, listing off hat he found to be the inner workings of the gun in his hands. "A fine piece of machinery, I gotta admit that." His voice denoted that he really _was_ impressed. He reappeared in front of the PSICOM grunt in an instant, and handed it to him, before moving his stance slightly, which the grunt found more stable. "If you're going to stay still and aim a gun, this is how you should do so with this particular one. More stability, and less recoil on your end."

He then turned to the woman, who was staring over the glasses. "How..."

"I'm fast, and I'm a sucker for good tech. That gun is good tech, though I've seen better." Jared told her. "I haven't been able to analyze a gun like that one, and the fact that he aimed it at me, just gave me a reason to take it from him, and do just that." He then narrowed his eyes. "But you don't want to piss me off. The last one that did got himself blown up by an experimental explosive that could level all of Bodhum in 2 seconds. I could do worse than that, though. The idiot was vaporized, and no one has pissed me off since then."

He then glanced at Lightning. "That's what I did to Melbu after Dart was finished with him."

Lightning then nodded, knowing what the guy did to piss him off.

He then looked at Nabaat. "if were you, I'd leave. This isn't your place, and I'm not your soldier. If you send anyone after me, and they try to strike me down, you will get them back." he turned around and walked forward. "In a bag." he then looked at Amodar. "I believe I told you a few things?"

Amodar nodded. "Then I'll go around and start what I've been doing the past few days. And my warning still stands." he then turned to the door and was walking out, straight past Nabaat and the PSICOM grunt. He didn't see a threat in either of them, so he dismissed them both at the moment.

Lightning looked at Amodar, who nodded at her unasked question. She followed him out.

Nabaat looked at Amodar. "What is going on between your subordinate and that man?" She demanded.

"Now _that_ is meant to be private. My office, please."

-with jared-

Lightning caught up to him, mainly because he wasn't trying to get away. "I pissed her off, that's for sure."

"Do you really not know who she was talking about?" Lightning questioned him.

"I didn't lie to her. However, if she got more specific, such as weapon of choice, since all the girls I know and consider a friend carry one, _then_ it would've been harder. As it stands, only one could possibly be in the area, and last I checked, she is supposed to be Crystallized. As such, I doubt it's her."

"And this girl..."

"I haven't seen her in over 15 years, Lightning. I doubt she would even remember me. Besides, the two of them wouldn't be able to take me. You know that. That display also showed them the same thing. They consider me a Wild Card. One they want in their hands."

"They want you to work for them, I'd wager."

"That's my guess as well." Just then, there was a ringing noise, which prompted Jared to take a small square earphone, which he put over his left ear, and snapped his head to the left, making a green glass come out of it, and over his eye, before he pushed a button. He saw who it was, and shook his head. "Psycho, it's been a while."

_Tell me something I don't know. Where are you?_

"Cocoon. More specifically, Bodhum. Yevon already told me about this one." He looked at Lightning, and mouthed, "Old Friend", to which she nodded.

_Oh. You know, I just got word from Yevon myself. Apparently, you took longer than he expected in Weyard._

"Yeah, I would've been a lot quicker if I hadn't found out I had all four branches, instead of the one I thought I had at first. The Tuaparang are a bunch of idiots, but they helped quite a bit in mastering the Shadows. That much cannot be denied."

_I see. Well, what else is there? Any action on your end._

"Actually, it's been pretty dull. Aside from the fact that Cerberus is not letting up on the Attraction comments." Jared was obviously annoyed. "He did the same with you, too."

_I know. Nizam told me. He also gave the armor to Mark, and had it bonded with your son. I'll be the first to admit that it was genius._

"Of course it is. I made the damn things. How's Eris?"

_Didn't check on her personally. Mark said she's doing better than he was. Stealth isn't her style though. Apparently, she's a Wind, Lightning and Fire element._

Jared whistled. "Hot damn. So, how's Sadie holding up?"

_She's been a big help the last 40 years._

"40 years for you?"

_How long has it been for you?_

"25. I spent 15 in Weyard." Jared replied. "Haven't seen you since I was in Endiness. Same with both Children."

_Any new ones?_

"None. Only one has caught my eye since then, but as I told her, and her sister, the Jury is still out on the subject. If it does go that route, only time will tell. Honestly, I blame her sister for even thinking about it. I told you about Fang, didn't I?"

_When you met her in the Moon?_

"Yeah. She might not be a crystal anymore, but I don't exactly know where her Fal'cie is, so I can't check."

Lightning heard this, and then thought to herself. _'That's why he's not against the L'cie. He's got a friend that is one.'_

_Okay, you want me to check on her?_

"And her friend, if you can. I'm a little busy on my end, already. Mostly trying earn a bit of money for the road."

_Why don't you sell your works?_

"Because people will wonder how I restored them, or just put them in a museum. That's not what they were made for."

_I see. Talk to you later. This is your job, and it _should_ be easier than what happened in Endiness._

"You're right, it _should_ be easier than that, but I don't think it will be. Especially considering that I lost about 80% of my Psynergy a few days ago. And I had all four branches mastered, along with the Cross-Psynergy. Now, I can't use Venus, Mars, or Mercury. Only Jupiter. Then there's the fact that the only Wingly Spells I've learned deal with Wind, Lightning and Dark Elements, and a good portion of _those_ are locked away too. I mean, I can't use them offensively, aside from the Dark Element, which only dealt with Shadow Manipulation. It's been like that for a while, and I'm operating on about 20% of my full skill set."

_That sucks. Any idea why?_

"A few, but none are concrete. Anyway, I'll talk to you later. See if you can find Fang, though. We need to make sure she's safe from those hunting her. Barthandelus will do damn near anything to get what he wants. Remember that."

_Alright, talk to you later. Preferably after Fang is safe._

The call was cut and the screen went back into the base, and he put it up, before looking at Lightning. "Sorry, wasn't expecting her to call me. She's an ally, and probably more powerful than I am."

"What does she look like?"

"Dark Brown hair, almost black. Hazel eyes, though if you look closely enough you could tell that they have a cat-like slit for pupils. She has a sword that I made for her. It's on the same level as mine, but is a different version. In terms of craftsmanship, hers is slightly better than Reaper. But when it comes to swords, she and I are equal. Her with that blade, and me with mine. One of us can take on a Legion of enemies. Together, we can take on 3." He sighed. He then continued on with the physical traits, which surprised Lightning, but he then finished. "Sure, she's strong, and I'll fight alongside her, but she's not my type. Besides, she tried to rape me once to pay me back. Not happening. I can trust her in a fight, but not anywhere else."

"So, not a girlfriend?"

"Not a chance. Like a said, she's a good friend and reliable ally, but she's not someone I'd have a child with, if that's what you're asking."

Lightning nodded. "So, you wouldn't two-time a girl?"

"Hell no. It's damn near impossible for me to get drunk, so unless someone hits me with a Paralyzing toxin I've never been hit with, and I don't develop an immunity to it within an hour, _then_ they might be able to rape me, but otherwise, it'll be all but impossible. I'm a one girl kind of guy. I've had only one girlfriend, and she's dead. Has been for 15 years. That's the person I was referencing to the Lieutenant Colonel."

"What got you to like her?"

"Well, she was strong. Not just physically, either. At the time, I didn't really trust anyone. She didn't care about what I could do, or who I was. She didn't go with the flow of society. She did what she had to in order to protect that which she considers precious. Her loyalty is to her family first, and her superiors second. Not to mention she's incredibly stubborn. She was, and still is, the only one I know for a fact I love, and not because of what she looked like. It's because of what was in her heart that I was drawn to her. No other reason. When my heart resonated with her, I knew. She was the one for me, but she died 15 years ago."

"So, if there's a pull towards anyone else, you'll know, right?"

"Probably." Jared shrugged. "It took me 4 years to notice the pull at all, but when I did, I realized it was there the entire time. I just couldn't see it."

"So, you could have this pull towards me..."

"You fit the bill, as you're similar to her, but I don't feel it yet. It's like I said, the Jury is out on the subject." He then noticed a PSICOM grunt coming into the area. _'A squad of them. 4, wait... 21? Not good. She probably wants to test me.'_

"Lightning..."

"Just call me Light."

"PSICOM is following us." He whispered. "There's 21 in the area. I can't sense Nabaat, so she's not in the immediate area."

He then closed an eye. _"Lieutenant, can you hear me?"_

"_Yes, but Nabaat just left my office."_

"_Did she tell you PSICOM is following me right now?"_

"_No, but she did say that Eden knows you don't belong in Cocoon. Apparently, they want you either siding with them, or dead."_

"_I was afraid of this. What did you tell her?"_

"_That I was having Lightning watch over you to determine if you were a threat. She seemed t accept that, but I don't think she likes it. You actively insulted her here. I wouldn't be surprised if PSICOM goes after your head."_

Lightning figured he was talking to either Reaper or Cerberus. She didn't know about Amodar being able to talk to him Telepathically.

"_And I told you that, if they do, I will kill them the moment they fire off a shot. I won't draw first, but I'm sure as hell gonna draw first blood."_

"_And I didn't tell them that Lightning has already told me a few things. Really, she got a little more in depth than I was expecting. I told Nabaat that I was using this as the Officer Test. If she passes the test, she'll be promoted to Second Lieutenant. One rank below my own."_

"_Good to know. Let me guess, you want me to keep that tidbit away from her?"_

"_That I do."_

"_Alright, I won't tell her. Any other information I could use on Nabaat?"_

"_Just that she'll do damn near anything to get to her quarry. Right now, you're in her sights. I'd wish you luck, but I doubt you'll need it."_

"_You're right. All I'd need is some privacy and a lot of open space."_

"_I'll keep that in mind."_

Jared cut the connection, and looked at Lightning. "I'm not striking until they get off a shot. Once they do, all bets are off."

"If you do, I'd say you'll need some space." Lightning pointed out.

"I know. Let's go around first. See if there's something else out there right now."

Jared nodded. PSICOM simply watched them, and nothing really happened. He saw that a few were about to, but they were stopped by one person, who pointed to him, and he knew they stopped their plans there. "You know, I'm actually surprised there isn't much crime in the upper parts anymore. There used to be a few, but there wasn't any yesterday. Same with today, apparently." Lightning pointed out.

"Probably the calm before the storm." Jared guessed. "Either that, or they see me and stop what they're planning immediately. I haven't been here long, but I already have a reputation for hurting the thugs badly. If they try something, and I hear of it, they _know_ they'll be hurting for a while. As long as they don't try anything, and they know this, I won't go after them."

"It could be both."

"Finally believing what I said about a few days from now?"

"I am actually starting to see it." She admitted.

"So, do you plan to ask Serah the truth about what's underneath those bandages?" Jared asked.

"No, I'm going to wait until she tells me." She admitted. "I feel it's better that way. And I'll respond with my heart, not my mind. She wouldn't do something to intentionally hurt me. I know that much. You being around made me much more observant. You damn near force me to think outside the box, and look for any possibility. That alone got me to see more of Serah than I have in a long time."

"So you know, I've known the real reason you've been watching me from the get go." She just shook her head in response. "I take it you already guess that I knew it was more on orders than personal." It wasn't a question.

"Third day I figured that much out." She told him. "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if you told me you would never age, and happen to really be over 100 years old."

Jared put a finger to his chin. "Well, I'm not over 100." She looked at him with a deadpanned stare. "You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not. I'm actually surprised you chose to say _that_. So..."

They just stared at each other, while standing in the middle of the park, which is where they ended up. "I don't know whether I should be surprised, or scared at the fact that I actually believe that you really are ageless."

Jared just shrugged. "Meh, I've had worse."

"Then how old are you? Really."

"Hmm... about 58 years old."

"You're old enough to be my father."

"That's my true age, but if you check any records, including medical, it'll say I'm only 22. That's where my physical age caps out." he shrugged. "Really, that's all there is to it."

"So, even if I did give you a child, which is still up for debate, you'll eventually outlive us both, right."

"You, definitely. The child, maybe not." Jared corrected. "Any children I have gain the possibility of becoming a Guardian like I am. Dimensional Guardians don't age past 22 physically. Our job is to retain balance in the Dimensions."

"How does one know if someone is a Guardian?"

"It's actually hard to tell with new guardians, really. The only way to know for sure, is through reading the "Guardian Script", as I call it. You could show it to any linguist, and they'd never be able to figure it out. It's damn near impossible to decode without being a Guardian yourself. The spoken form of it is the same way, but our minds translate it into our primary language, even though to others it sounds little more than a bunch of random babble."

"So, if you knew 7 different languages, and actually used them but was really talking in the Guardian Language, even someone who knew those 7 languages, wouldn't understand what you were really saying?"

"Pretty much, yeah. And I know well over 30 Languages." His eyes darted around slightly, before putting his hand on Reaper, while Lightning tensed and drew her Blazefire Saber. "Any idea on what it is?"

"Canine...47 of them. Furry. Then there's PSICOM, and they're in opposite directions. No one else in the immediate area."

"Any chance you can take these guys solo?"

"If I do... Let's just say I'll be taking out PSICOM first." He drew Reaper, and made a slash, cutting 3 enemies that tried to jump him. "Thexterons... no wonder there's so many of them."

"These are just furry Pantherons. Nothing to worry about." She cut through a few herself.

A few PSICOM soldiers came out, and started shooting the Thexterons. One of them was about to make Jared on the path, and he dodged as the shot was fired, and took down the Thexteron. "Watch where you're aiming, idiot!" he shouted, before Reaper glowed slightly. "Light, back!" She jumped back, as Jared swung Reaper down. "Shadow Cannon!" The Purple beam vaporized most of the remains. "A Reaper Special. Shadow Cannon."

Lightning looked at him. "That came from Reaper, didn't it?"

"That it did." Jared drew Cerberus and launched 2 more shots, thus killing the final two Thexterons. They looked at the PSICOM grunts. "Why are you following us?"

"You're under arrest L'cie!" They all pointed their guns at him. They expected him to either attack or surrender. Lightning, however, thought differently.

Jared simply laughed. "Fire!" The moment that was said, Reaper and Jared's right arm blurred, and his laughter stopped. There only the sound of metal hitting metal. Nothing else. The grunts had emptied their clips, and Jared didn't have a single mark on him, nor did Reaper. "What?!"

"I can run faster than those bullets came at me. Do you really think I wouldn't be able to see them?" Jared retorted, before shaking his head, as they tried to reload. "Seriously, they think I'm a L'cie for using a Sentient Sword. I thought Amodar would've told Nabaat about Reaper and the fact that he has his own abilities."

"No sword has abilities like that." Apparently, she was watching as well. Jared didn't even look at her, as she was behind him. "It is impossible."

"Shadow Cannon is not possible to be used by L'cie. I should know, running into 7 of them in the past. Besides, if I wanted to do it, everyone in the city would be dead. I simply don't see the point. Besides, don't you have other business to attend to?"

"My business here, requires you to either join PSICOM, or die. But now that you're a L'cie, you'll die anyway, so what's the point."

_'Wait, that might work.'_ Jared hid his smirk, as he turned to her. "You think I'm a L'cie, eh?" Seeing her narrowed eyes, he took it as a yes. "Well, Guess what? You're not dealing with an Ordinary L'cie."

"Open fire!" The bullets hit a barrier that not even Lightning saw.

"I have risen above, and become a legend. A legend that even the Fal'cie Fear. For I never gained a Focus." This sent a shock into everyone, but Nabaat didn't believe it for a second. "My brand was open from the get go. No focus, means no Ci'eth clock. If I felt that the Sanctum needed to be destroyed, then I would've done so already. I've had two weeks to do it. I just haven't seen a reason to do so. That is, until now."

Nabaat pulled a gun, and he shot it out of her hand with Cerberus. "I was sent here for a reason. I have two targets, both of which intend on the destruction of this world. If this world is destroyed, then several others will fall. My Job is to stop that from happening. Their names: Barthandelus, and Orphan. Barthandelus wants Orphan dead. Orphan wants the complete destruction of Cocoon, and is willing to try and convince a Pulse Fal'cie to make more enemies to do just that. The Maker, who just so happens to be my Employer, sent me here to stop them. It will take Pulse L'cie to do the job. Either that, or someone that is above the gods themselves. I fall under the latter category."

"The Fal'cie are the superiors here. You are a fool."

"Then you are a fool for thinking a God is unstoppable. For I have already killed one. His name was Melbu Frahma, and his actions would have done the same as Orphan is now trying. It is why I was chosen for this. I could have just ignored the request, but I decided to do it for the hell of it. And for the Record, I sense a Pulse Fal'cie nearby." he pointed out, which Lightning knew was towards the Vestige. "If I were you, I'd be checking it out yourself. Isn't that what PSICOM does?"

"My job is to get you to work for the Sanctum, or death. I'll let my superiors know about it later. After I'm done with you."

"You can't kill me." Jared walked up to her, and got into her face. His eyes then took on a deep crimson. "You don't have the means, or the ability." As she caught the eyes, she slowly passed out, and fell to the ground. He turned to the PSICOM grunts. "Dark Void." A black puddle appeared under all of them, and they fell asleep. He then rewired their brains remotely, along with deleting the entries from the suits and recording devices. Then he looked at the Thexterons, and finally Lightning. "I think it's best if we get out of here. Don't want to be around when they wake up."

She didn't ask why, and they got out of there, and ran back to the GC HQ.

When they get there, they saw Amodar. "I take it she went after you both?"

"Actually, when they had us cornered, they just fell down. They're mostly asleep." Jared admitted. "Besides, an old friend of mine was on her way to that location anyway. I'm actually surprised she's here. She didn't call me about it, after all."

"What did you do to them?"

"Nothing. They have no marks on them, aside from what they gained from falling. The one that did the deed was taken care of." Jared told him.

Lightning looked at him, and raised an eyebrow. "And who was the friend?"

"Her name is Shana, which is weird, since I didn't think she'd be able to get here." Jared then took on a thoughtful look. "Then again, it _has_ been years since I've seen her last, and I doubt she knows what's going on. Although..." He pulled out a photo of a Brown haired girl. "This is Shana. If you see her, and she does something that, normally only L'cie can do, tell her that the abilities she used could be mistaken as Taboo. Moon Child or not, Magic is Magic, whether a Fal'cie is the cause or not."

"What makes you think she _can't_ get here?"

"Because of where I last saw her." Jared to her. "In all honesty, I'm surprised she's even here, but I do wonder what happened to Dart. I'm gonna check on her. See you back at the house, Light." he ran out of the HQ and then picked up speed, homing in on Shana's signature. When he did, he found her outside the Vestige. "Shana..."

The woman turned. "Jared? Is that you?"

"Girl, you haven't aged a bit."

"Of course not. I found out why, too." Jared's raised eyebrow prompted her to explain. "Apparently, the powers I got as the Moon Child transferred over as I turned down the position of God of Destruction. Instead, I became a Dimensional Guardian, and I learned from Mark myself. Took me a few years, but I managed. I was told to wait near the Fal'cie Anima for you. Soa is my Patron, just like she is yours. Rose is, too."

Jared shrugged. "You saw the downed men, right?"

"Yes, and I also felt the Shadow Cannon being used in the area, but none of them were injured. What gives?" She asked.

"Well... I did use the Shadow Cannon, but not on the ones that were unconscious. I actually used Dark Void on them. I put them to sleep, and had to rewrite their memories." He admitted, scratching the back of his head.

She hummed, and nodded, before pulling out a box, and holding it out in front of him. "This is why Soa sent me here. She wanted me to give you this. Said it could help when shit hits the fan."

He took it and opened it up. As he pulled something out, he raised an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know why she sent me this?" He showed her the small packets of something he recognized.

"What are they?"

"The packaging is for Condoms. Why she would send them, I have no idea." he then decided to open one, and his surprise was amplified, as what came out _definitely_ wasn't a condom.

"What... the... Fuck...?" He got out.

The being that showed up was something that he didn't see coming, but recognized.

It was a female in bright white full plate armor with Gold trim, with a shield and a sword. There was also a red cape flowing behind her, about 5'7" tall. She also had Platinum White hair, and blue eyes. All in all, it looked like a female Paladin with a Scimitar and Shield.

Jared then got back up, while Shana just looked in awe. The Paladin then looked at him. **(Who are you? Why have you... Those packages... break open the rest of them.)** The Paladin didn't move her lips, but Jared heard her clear as day.

"Jain, is that really you?"

**(I do not know who you are.)**

Jared then showed off his brand to her, which had her eyes widen. **(Release the others. We must talk.)**

Jared opened the rest of the packages, which totaled 13 beings.

One was a female with dark skin, black hair, and the clothes of a fighting monk, and a staff with a slight hook on one end. She stood at 4' 11". Another female with Black hair, Hazel eyes, a Gold Tiara, staff with a small ball on the end, wearing White Priestess Robes with Gold Trim. She stood at 5' 11".

Then there was a bulky male with similar armor to Jain, but a large Axe in white and Gold colors, standing at a full 6'2. His hair and eyes were blue. Another female, this one blond with Brown eyes. She held a Hispanic complexion, stood about 5'2, wore lighter Priestess robes and a scarf.

Next one to be released held a shield made of Granite, white clothing with a Gold trim, Dark green Shoulder pauldrons with Gold trim as well, Platinum Blonde hair, and Dark Brown eyes. He stood about 5'8.

Next to come out was a white canine similar to a Holy Fox with a single tail. There was armor in the same colors and design as the previous ones, but only on the shoulders of all four legs, and on the back of the neck extending to the back. The eyes were a Golden Yellow.

Next to come out was a Large bipedal wolf, with Shoulder pauldrons in the same colors as the rest, a gold belt, and white cloth flowing from said belt. This wolf held a lance that extended for 8 feet, while he stood at a good 6' 11". His fur was actually a grand silver, and his eyes were a Golden brown.

The next to appear could only be described as an angel... Literally. White Feathery wings, a bright gold wand with what seemed to be a star burst pattern at one end. Her armor seemed light, and was in the usual White with Gold trim cloth, but she gave off a much larger Holy Energy which was like a beacon to his senses. She stood... er floated, at a good 5'2.

Then there was a much smaller one, floating at a short 3' 9", with wings about as big as her torso. She held what seemed to be a Rapier in her left hand, and robes similar to a Princess. She also seemed much more ethereal than the others.

Next was a small cat. Not knowing much about cats, as he never really found himself interested in them, he couldn't place it, though he'd place their origins in Egypt, if what he _did_ know was any indication. A small collar and headpiece made of gold, and white fur all around.

Then came another female human, wearing what he found was similar to a Priestess of Mylee from Louie the Rune Soldier, while she held a Light Battle Mace. She held brown hair and matching eyes. Her robes were nearly all white much more than the other clothed humans, with much less Gold trim on her robes, though it was still there.

Next one to come out was a Dragon. It was strangely European Style, with the classic four legs, and two wings, but seemed to stand more on the hind legs than all four. Oddly enough, this dragon had Golden Blonde hair flowing down the back of the head, and neck, along with a tail that gave it off as well. The front legs seemed more like hands of a T-Rex than actually legs and paws of a Dragon. There was also armor is a few places, mainly what could be described as the chest, legs, and arms. He then noticed a horn on the head. The Dragon also stood tall above the others, at a great 16' 8" tall. If not for his eyesight, he wouldn't have noticed that the eyes were also a Golden Brown.

What's more is: he knew each and every one of them by heart. And when they were all there, his heart nearly stopped. _'As if I didn't have enough surprises in my life!'_ he mentally screamed, before looking at Shana, who was actually looking at them curiously. "Who are you guys?"

"They're Lightsworns." Jared said, as he was now on his feet. "But why did Soa want you to give them to me in the form of _condom packets_?"

**(So, you are the one Lord Shinku spoke of? The one that holds his power?)** He heard Jain's voice in his head.

"I hold his power, yes." Jared replied. The others looked between Jain and Jared, before Jain got into her battle stance, which resembled most knights using a shield and sword.

"What's going on?"

"They're going to test me." Jared told Shana, without looking at her.

"You know who they all are, right?" Jared nodded, his gaze never leaving their forms. "Could you at least tell me who is who?"

"The Paladin is Jain. The one with the axe, his name is Garoth. The Angel is Celestia. The much smaller one with wings is Shire. Black hair and tiara is Lyla. Martial Artist with darker skin than the rest is Ehren. The small dog is Ryko. The large wolf is, ironically, Wulf. The only reason difference between the two names is this guy's name has a "U" not an "O". The Dragon is called Gragonith. The Cat is named Rinyan. The one with a Granite Shield is named Aurkus. The one with a scarf is Lumina. The one with the small battle Mace is named Jenis. Together they make up the Lightsworn archetype in the Yu-gi-oh Trading Card Game where I'm from."

**(So, you know who we are.)** Jain spoke, as the rest readied themselves for battle.

"I'd be an idiot not to. I use a deck composed of cards with your forms on them. I _always_ used a Lightsworn deck. It was my best and favorite deck. I'd have to _blind_ to not know who you all are at a mere _glance_." Jared admitted.

**(Draw your sword. Prove your worth. And defend your honor as a Guardian!)** Jared drew reaper, and got ready for a fight. **(Doom!)**

Jared felt time and life slipping away from him. The effects of Doom.

He charged with Reaper in hand, and drew Cerberus as well, firing a few shots at Lyla. Shana drew her bow, and let a single arrow fly, that multiplied, and pelted Gragonith, who returned her fire with a blast of Light fired from his mouth, which she dodged.

While Shana held Gragonith's attention, Jared was busy fighting off the rest. Shire was the easiest to knock out. He vanished, and appeared behind her hitting her in the back of the neck with the pommel of his sword. He then dodged Lyla's Holy spell which would've hit his head had he not dodged. He stopped Garoth's downward strike with Reaper, and aimed Cerberus at his navel and fired, sending him back, and badly damaging the armor.

He then did a backflip to avoid a shield bash from Aurkus, before putting a hand on the flat of Jain's blade and used it as a vaulting horse before flipping over even more, landing in a much more clear area, as he pointed Cerberus at Lumina and fired, knocking her out of the battle with a direct hit to her left temple. _'2 down, 11 to go.'_ he thought. But that was all that could happen before he heard another gunshot, which hit Garoth in the back of the head, knocking _him_ out as he fell forward. Jared knew who it was, and smirked.

"Jared, what the fuck is going on?!" he heard Lightning say.

"Test. Doom. Prove myself." he said, charging Aurkus, before vanishing, and appearing behind Celestia, with an open palm held in her direction. "Flash Bolt!" Needless to say she didn't see it coming, and was paralyzed, somehow. "Long story short, these guys are supposed to help me, but I have to prove myself to gain it."

"Then I might as well help." She stated, taking Wulf's Halberd with the blade of her Blazefire Saber. "What about that girl over there fighting the dragon?"

"Her name is Shana, and a friend." he then sent another slash at Celestia, knocking _her _out, before turning and blocking Jenis's mace, before he kicked her away, and held out his hand again. "Destruct Ray!" Lightning fell down, and knocked her out too. He then kicked away Ehren as she approached, while Lightning held Garoth back with her skills.

Shana was still working on Gragonith, but was easily wearing him down without taking much damage herself. Sparring with both Rose and Cordala helped a lot.

The current body count:

Lightsworns: Shire, Celestia, Lyla, Lumina, Jenis.

Jared's team: None. Shana, Jared and Lightning are still up.

It wasn't long before Jared used Cerberus to shoot out one of Gragonith's eyes without looking, which resulted in a pain filled screech from the Dragon, and Shana releasing an exploding arrow down his gullet, thus knocking him out.

Body count: Shire, Celestia, Lyla, Lumina, Jenis, Gragonith.

Lightning then managed a gun shot to Garoth's forehead, knocking him out.

Body count: Shire, Celestia, Lyla, Lumina, Jenis, Gragonith, Garoth.

Ryko was about to get Lightning's back, but Jared managed to kick him away from her, before he fired Cerberus, thus hitting the armor, and sending him back.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." he said, as they stood back to back, staring at Jain, Wulf, Aurkus, and Ehren. Jared also noticed that Rinyan wasn't surrounding them, though the pain filled screech coming from Shana's direction gave the cat's position away.

Rinyan down. Lightning and Jared just stared at the other 4. "Shana, take Aurkus. Light, take the wolf. I got the other two." Jared ordered them, calm as a summer breeze.

"Right!" Shana let an arrow fly which was intercepted by Aurkus' Shield. "Come on!" She taunted.

Aurkus turned and charged her blocking her arrows with his shield while getting in close.

Lightning, on the other hand, flat out charged Wulf, and brought down her gunblade to his shoulder, causing sparks to fly. She then had to dodge the shaft of his halberd, so she jumped, backflipped, and fired a single round, hitting Wulf's chest. It caused a grunt from the beast, but otherwise, he was undeterred.

Shana managed to launch an arrow into the air, and dodged the punch Aurkus threw at her. "You know, you're slower than Haschel." She told him, before she jumped even further back, and a large amount of Energy balls rained down on Aurkus, stopping him from going after her, as she notched an arrow and let it fly as he dodged the hail of Light. Her arrow struck true, and landed right in between the eyes of the Druid, causing him to stop, and be hit by even more balls of light, which caused him to get knocked out.

Aurkus down.

Jared had gotten into a Martial Arts match with Ehren, and countered every move, Reaper back in his sheath. She sent a kick, he stopped it with his own. She sent a punch he blocked it. She tried to grapple, and that was her mistake. He grabbed both of her hands, and then felt Jain come up and try to strike him from behind. He kicked her in the gut, causing her to flinch slightly, and flipped her over him, having her take the strike meant for him from Jain, thus knocking _her_ out.

Ehren down.

He looked at Jain. _'3 minutes left. Gotta make them count.'_

Jain came at him, and he countered every move.

Lightning however, was getting a lot more tired than she should have been. Wulf was wearing her down, but she would not let him hurt Jared. However, while she had his attention, an arrow came in, and hit him in the right eye, but came from behind, causing him to fall forward. Lightning then looked at Shana, who was notching another arrow. "nice shot." she commented.

"Thank you." She then let the arrow fly straight towards Jain, who dodged, as Jared parried the arrow that passed the Paladin, who jumped back and looked around. Seeing her allies defeated, she then radiated a bright light. **(Lightsworns! Release the Judgment!)**

The rest of the Lightsworns, all of which had fallen then glowed, and their forms disappeared before charging Jain, causing a much brighter light, and then a new being came. Another one, which Jared knew. The scales were Gray and Silver, and so were the wings and all four legs that actually _looked _like legs. The whiskers, tail, scales, head, everything which Jared recognized.

It was his Trump card in his Lightsworn Deck: Judgment Dragon, who landed right in front of him, the neck lowered, as Jared got on, before he took to the air. "Hot damn!"

He then heard the Dragon's voice, which oddly sounded like it was made of 13 others. **(Looks like you've proven yourself worthy. Your friends as well.)**

"Thanks JD. I really should thank you for all the times you helped me before I started on my Guardian Journey. You, Shire, and Jain have been my favorites among the Lightsworn Deck I had."

The giant Dragon landed next to Lightning, and Jared jumped off looking at both girls that were present, before turning back to the giant Dragon. "So, JD, what's the gist of it? I mean..."

**(I know what you mean, Guardian. The others were not informed, but I was. We happen to be your Eidolon. Consensus between The Maker of this world, Soa as your Patron, and Lord Shinku, who gave the idea in the first place.)**

"Wait, _Shinku_ sent you to me?" Jared was surprised.

**(Yes. He found the deck you used, and I am well aware of it. We are your Eidolon. I trust we'll get a few good fights out of siding with you?)**

"If I get into any, sure. Hell, even if I don't, I might just summon a few of you just to train myself." Jared admitted. "Unless you all have a problem with that?"

**(I have none, but you will have to ask them. We are your allies and friends now. Farewell, Jared.)**

The dragon glowed, and turned into a small ball or light, which then charged Jared, and stopped right in front of him, making a crystal that was a Deep Crimson in color and a double Helix in shape, with a Deep Purple inside the Double Helix. Jared saw that it was like a Crimson and Dark Purple version of the Kokiri Emerald from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Just smaller, which then went into his chest, right where the brand was.

Lightning looked at him, and was panting slightly. "Who who those people, and how did they change like that?"

"The Lightsworns, and apparently, they're my allies." He then felt another presence enter his mind. "And apparently, Jain is now sticking to my mind. The Paladin."

"And they tried to kill you because..."

"They were testing my strength. Besides, I was afflicted by Doom. Seriously, if I didn't finish them off or prove myself before 1 minute and 15 seconds passed, then I would've died." he shook his head. "So, how did you handle Wulf?"

"She got him in the back through the eye." Lightning pointed at Shana. "And who are you?"

"My name is Shana Feld."

"How was the little Hell raiser?"

"Pretty calm with Mark's help." Shana replied. "It's been 18 years on our end. How about you?"

"15 years. It's been 40 for Psycho, though." He crossed his arms. "What about Rose?"

"She left 7 years after you did. Said there was enough training that she could give, and left. We haven't seen or heard from her since. Haschel finally passed away. He taught Catherine the Rogue style before he did, though. Catherine is my daughter, so you know. You left before she was born."

Jared nodded. "She a guardian?"

"Of course." Shana smiled.

"And what is your relationship with _her_?" Lightning questioned.

"I worked under her mother 25 years ago." Jared replied. "Had to watch over her. She also Married Dart. Speaking of which, what happened to him?"

"I'm heading back after this. This is your job, not mine. I'm staying in Endiness until I'm called for something, or Dart and his family are dead as well." She turned her head. "I should get going. The sight of that Dragon will attract some kind of attention."

Jared then looked out, and picked up a few signatures coming their way. Jared then got into a stance, Reaper in position to strike, and Lightning picked up what he was going for. Shana then realized it, and then ran off, and vanishing like a vacuum pulled her in, right before several more in GC uniforms came into the area. Seeing the state the two were in, they were wondering what happened.

"Sergeant Farron! What happened? Where's the dragon?"

"The Dragon dissolved when we beat it." She replied, still slightly panting. "The one that brought it here just escaped, though."

"And Shadowwind?"

"I could barely keep up. I may have faced more powerful beings, but that was still a tough fight. If not for my experience, I would have taken more hits than I did. Every time I was hit, it was a glancing blow. I'm glad I wore my armor today." he said, before he fell back and landed on the ground, and groaned. "Damn... I haven't fought that hard in a while." He closed his eyes, and some could actually hear him snoring, causing them to chuckle lightly.

Lightning then walked over to him though she had a bit of a limp on her left leg, before she fell next to him, her Blazefire Saber hitting the ground right as she did. Her head also landed on his chest.

The other Soldiers looked at each other, then picked them up, and took them to where Lightning's house was, where they found Serah, who opened the door. Aside from the 6 that brought them there, the other 14 went back to HQ to report what was said, and that both Lightning and Jared passed out. Serah had them bring the two into Lightning's room, and both were put in her bed, and then they watched as she positioned them in a way that would be highly compromising. She then got a camera and took a picture. She motioned for them to do the same, which they did.

She then led them out, and giggled quite a bit, before making a few copies of it, and sending one to Snow, who was bug eyed at what it entailed. "You know she's not gonna like this, right?"

She just smiled back at him. "And I intend on keeping it for later."

"Blackmail?"

"Blackmail."

Snow just shrugged in response. "Ah well. Her loss."

00000x00000

Alright, you're probably wondering why Jared passed out.

The Reason is actually because Doom had been taking his life force: Spiritual Energy, and that, in turn, made him weaker as it went along. Because of this, he was more tired than he should have been, and would have been with what he did. It just didn't show until after the fact, when he realized he was about to pass out.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	3. Chapter 3

…

**Chapter 3**

Lightning woke up first, not liking the position she saw, but she couldn't will her body to move away from it. Why?

Probably because her body was just as entangled with his as he was to hers. She quickly heard him groan. And inwardly, she panicked. He opened his eyes, and saw Lightning's eyes stare back into his. He blinked.

Once. Twice. He then melted into his own shadow, and then reformed on the floor, standing up. "That wasn't me, I swear!" He nearly shouted.

"Then who..." She stopped abruptly, as a look of realization came onto her face. Jared then realized it. They both looked at the door. "Serah..."

Lightning wrangled her hair with both hands. "Seriously? Did she _have_ to do that?"

Jared's eye caught the clock. "Uh, Light?" She looked at him, and then where he was pointing. "We're late!"

It was already 4 in the afternoon.

The door opened and they saw both Serah and Snow, who Lightning growled at.

"Relax, Light." Serah said. "Unless you want me to send the picture to everyone in Bodhum." The thinly veiled threat was there, and it caused her to pause in her growling. "Serah... Why did you do that?"

"You needed to loosen up. I already told Amodar that you might not make it today. He understood immediately." She replied. "You still have to patrol during the fireworks, but after that you have 3 days off to rest. He doesn't expect much to happen."

They heard Jared sigh. "Serah, what you did was uncalled for. I told you I wasn't sure, and so did she. She already knows why I'm not sure. I told her that yesterday."

Serah blinked. "Really? Then why did those guys from the Corps think it would've happened already?"

"They what?" They both asked, confusion in their voices. They looked at each other, and then at Snow. "I'll talk to you about that later. First..."

"First, you need a shower." Serah said. "Light, I hate to say it but you stink. You too, Jared. Separate Showers, you two!"

"SERAH!" Jared simply vanished, and Lightning ran into the nearby bathroom. Jared had the guest bathroom, and the door was locked.

Lightning came out first, and got dress in her uniform. Jared came out as well, and was polishing his armor in a Black unmarred T-Shirt, and jeans. As he was polishing his armor with Gun oil, Lightning looked at him. "Gun oil?"

"It works on guns, as sword polish, and even helps with shining your armor. Unorthodox, I'll admit, but it works." Jared explained.

"So, what's the real story with the Dragon?" Lightning asked.

"Well, he's really just called Judgment Dragon. He's a powerful monster, that much I can guarantee." he didn't know Serah was listening to him. "The others were the Lightsworns." He then explained each one, and their specialties in the card game they were played in. "Really, it's because of a card game that I know of them, but still... I'm not surprised they're really real now. I mean, with what I've been through, the fact that they _showed up_ is more surprising than that they're real. And to think that they were in a batch of Condom packets that Shana gave me from my Employer. Seriously, I was _not_ expecting them to come out of the 13 packets. After the first one, Jain, came out, I just opened the rest of them. The rest came out."

"That's just wrong."

"Eh, I'm used to it." he then felt something, and turned to the door. "How you hid yourself from me is beyond me." Serah came out. "Serah... why were you eavesdropping on us?"

"I... Sorry."

Lightning shook her head. "I think you should get used to that, Jared. For the duration of your stay in Bodhum, you're welcome here."

"Come again?" Jared asked.

"I've been thinking since we woke up. Even in the shower. Long story short, the jury came back about ten minutes ago. The offer is the result."

Jared looked at her and shook his head. "Jury's still out here. But I'll let you know when they get back, and their decision. Although, Reaper, Cerberus, _and_ Jain say go for it, I'm just not sure."

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Aren't _they_ your Jury?"

"Not funny, Light. And for the record, no they aren't."

She shrugged. "The offer's on the table in case you want to pick it up."

"Good to know."

Serah then looked at Jared, before going out, getting a box, and then coming back in, and holding it in front of Jared. "it's a package that came for you this morning. Don't recognize the sender, though."

He looked at the tag, and saw the name. _'This better not be a prank.'_ Why did he think that?

The tag read:

From: Kushina Uzumaki

To: The new Shadowwind

He opened it, and then saw inside. It was something that he _knew _was not a part of the Elemental Nations. Lightning's eyes widened. "Who sent you that? Not even _I_ have one."

"Someone named Kushina Uzumaki. Still, I recognize this from somewhere..." he then snapped. "Ah. FF13. The Save points." He then looked at it. "I don't think I want to know how someone from a Third World Realm could make something far beyond what was considered First World and send it to me when they _shouldn't even be in the right Realm_." Jared continued.

"Come again?"

"The name Kushina Uzumaki _is_ familiar to me, but I've never met her."

He then opened it, and a bunch of holograms popped up. Apparently, there was a message. He opened that first.

Hey!

Now that you're reading this, you probably know that this isn't a joke, and I'm a Guardian. I'm a Shadowwind myself.

Now you're probably wondering how I knew about you. For that, I would blame Psycho. Even _I_ think she's insane. She gives Psychotic a whole new meaning.

"She's good." Jared said.

Alright, if you ever come across me, since most of my family has been killed, or anyone bearing my last name, let them know. I'm the only Uzumaki left alive, and I've also got a burden I'm not sharing. How Mito transferred it to me, I have no idea.

Anyway, I was actually born in Elementia, but I've been learning from my burden, and easily have been able to make things with our Mechanical Summon ability. This is a product I've made with my Burden's help. This is real, and not summoned. It's also better than the originals, as it can't be traced. Excellent for Hacking.

Anyway, use it at your leisure, but if you see me

He looks at the picture of a grinning red head.

Then don't hesitate to say hi! I'll introduce you to any friends I have!

Your fellow Shadowwind and Guardian

U.K.

Jared closed the message, and then looked at the other features. "Hot damn! This thing's got a storage vault, and it's HUGE!"

"How big?" Lightning questioned.

"It can hold 7 castles and still hold more." Jared replied. "Now that I think about it, Psycho _definitely_ would do that."

"Who is Psycho?"

"The same one that called me the other day." Jared replied.

Lightning sighed. "How many Guardians are male?"

"Dunno. Never met any others, though. I reawakened one, Psycho trained me, and the only other Guardian I know, helped take down Gragonith, and shot Wulf through the eye."

"Noted. By the way, what was that Destruct Ray you called out? I doubt it was magic."

"In a way, it was, but not that of a L'cie. Thing is, it's actually derived from Alchemy. Real old fashioned stuff. Destruct Ray, Storm Ray, and Ray are not exactly my favorite but the best used in the situation. It was either that or Shadow Flare."

Lightning looked at him. "Spell from Alchemy?"

"Magic from Alchemy. It's not really called magic because of where it comes from, but it still counts as a form of Magic in the eyes of those that can see it and don't know what it is. Still, from what I know of L'cie the source is, in fact, different. You see, I'm naturally a sensor. You've seen me pick out a select few people in a crowd but that's just the tip of the iceberg. You see, I'm good enough that I can tell what makes up the energy used in spells, Jutsu, transformations, and, if I know what the source is, I can tell you what makes that source. Psynergy is approximately 98% Mental Energy and 2% Spiritual Energy. Spells from a L'cie are more from a Natural Energy, instead of the body's natural energies. The Spells I use, such as Shadow Flare, actually use about 92% Mental Energy, 7% Spiritual and 1% Physical Energy."

"That sounds more complicated than it should be."

"Honestly, it probably is." Jared admitted. "I've been at it for years. Heck, I could even tell you just how much _you_ have of each. A L'cie uses their brand to take in the Natural Energy surrounding them to form their spells. I don't... well, I could, but I don't."

Lightning nodded at that. "Right now, I am wondering why you haven't tried to exercise yet."

Jared raised an eyebrow, both of them ignoring Serah for the moment. "I just recovered from having my spirit drained from me. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Shit will hit the fan _tomorrow_. And it'll only get worse from there."

"What makes you think it'll start tomorrow?"

"Because PSICOM will probably look into the Vestige when they find it open, and their soldiers will be turned into Ci'eth."

"Didn't you warn them about it?"

"Yeah, but they might not take me seriously. It's only when they find out about the Vestige itself that they'll explore it." Just then he got a call coming in on his ear phone, which he activated, and deactivated his new toy. Apparently, it was Fang.

_Hey, kid. What's up?_

"Fang? What happened?"

_Slipped out of Sanctum Security systems after I got caught in the Eruide Gorge. Vanille ain't with me though, so I'd like to ask a favor of ya, mate._

"If you want me to find Vanille, then it'll have to wait. I know where she'll be. If something happens and its announced that people will be moving to Pulse, she'll take that bet. I advise that you don't. She can hide her brand. You can't."

_True. But if you see her, let me know. I found Raines. You were right, as he helped me out of there. Apparently, I'm still "At large" and he's claiming he doesn't know where I'm at._

"Alright. Stay under the radar, and stay frosty. I don't know how long it'll take, but I can almost guarantee that something's gonna happen soon. I told you about the game and the Thirteen Days. This is day Ten. Just be glad part of PSICOM has been diverted to me. After what I did to them, they're probably going to try and skin me."

_They can try, but they'll fail. Especially since you beat out Melbu. Anyway, I caused Kujata to brand someone. Still trying to figure out my focus, Vanille's as well._

"Thought as much. Anyway, I'm gonna let you go. Good luck, Fang." He hung up, and looked at Lightning. "Sorry, old friends and allies. I've got quite a few. Dunno why Soa wanted me to work with females more often than males, but I'm not complaining."

Lightning just raised an eyebrow. "And who's Vanille?"

"Fang's adopted sister. Fang could care less about her own safety if it meant Vanille's."

"It's getting late." She stated, as she looked at the clock, and noticed the time.

Jared got up, and went into the kitchen to cook dinner. It was a simple meal, and all three of them ate it. After they finished, someone came to the door, and Jared answered. "Lieutenant Amodar?"

"Came to check on you and Lightning."

"I'm still slightly sore, and so is she. We'll be fine tomorrow night for the Fireworks festival."

"By the way, I know you're stronger than you put out. Why did you pass out?"

"When you have your life force drained, you're bound to pass out quickly."

"What caused that?"

"A little spell called Doom."

He let the man in, and led him to the Living room, where Lightning was. "Lieutenant?"

"So, you're awake. That's good. I was actually worried for a second. But right now, I'm more worried for him. He's on PSICOM's hit list, but most don't know why." Amodar pointed out.

"I take it you do." Jared stated. It wasn't a question.

"Apparently, LTC Nabaat claims you to be a L'cie. She doesn't remember anything that happened, but the way you disappeared off her radar made her think so. It's not official, but she's pushing for it. The report you handed me about the situation is the only thing saving you right now. The fact that a Trusted Soldier wrote one that was almost Identical, off on two points, is helping. Those two points are really small, and more out of point of view than anything else, and actually puts you in a good light."

"That's good to know." Jared replied.

Lightning nodded. "Lieutenant, can I talk with you? Alone."

The two went down the hallway, while Jared stopped Serah from following.

It was 30 minutes later that they came out. "Thank you for the talk, Lieutenant. I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it. I was expecting it to happen sooner or later. Just be careful with that. Can't tell you how many times I wish I'd waited."

Lightning nodded. "We'll be at the Festival for patrolling tomorrow. I'll let him know of the location you gave me."

"Please do. Good luck, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Lightning shook her head, as he left the house. "I'm off for 4 days, aside from the festival tomorrow night. Don't like it but I might as well. Perhaps you can tell me about this "The Thirteen Days" that you mentioned over that call."

"I'm curious about that too. What did you mean?"

Jared sighed, and just pulled something from his... Shadow? "For the record, I was hoping to _avoid_ that topic." It turned out to be similar to what Lightning knew was a Datalog. "The information on this is stuff that you should _never_ know. _No one_ should know. It's also encrypted to the point that you can only access it in a certain way, with more than one password."

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Did you hack something to get that information."

"Nothing secure, no. I just had to find everything. The information is _not_ from any Cocoon databases, but rather, from my home, in the Prime Realm. The reason you shouldn't know anything on here is because of what I took from my home before I had to leave. No one should know the future. I know it, but my presence alone would change it. Even so, I believe it best that no one knows until everything's all said and done."

She looked at it for a few seconds then back at him. "Is there anything on you personally? Not regarding anything I shouldn't know?"

Jared took it, unlocked it, and went through it, before finding the folder. He opened it, and handed it to her. "This folder has what you're asking for. The rest still have at least 22 levels of encryption each." He got up, and went over to the couch, before sitting down. "Have fun reading."

Lightning just went through it all, and was surprised at what his full skill set, which was in there, was. Also, some of them was _locked_ away for the time being. _'All things considered, he only has maybe 20% of his full skill set... His physical ability hasn't diminished, but still... He's working on 20% at most and he _still_ managed to pull all of that off?!'_ She went through it all again, and sighed, before shutting it down.

She then walked over to him, and held it out for him to grab, which he did. "So?"

"I'm actually impressed... though I do have a question."

He opened his left eye and looked at her. "Which is?"

"Any chance you can upgrade my Blazefire Saber? Preferably after the festival."

Jared opened his other eye and looked at her. "Mind if take it apart and figure out the mechanics behind it?"

she pulled it out and handed it to him. He then went to the floor, and started fiddling with the gears, springs, and everything else inside and outside the Gunblade. Overall he was impressed at the workmanship. "Hmm..." he took a notepad from... somewhere, and started writing things down, before looking at the parts once more, and then writing again. He then flipped a page and started doodling.

He then put the Gunblade back together, and handed it Lightning after what was actually 30 minutes. "I've got the design and additions I plan to put into it. I'm not going to do it to yours, but I _will_ get it done." He told her, earning a raised eyebrow. "Your birthday is in 2 days, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

He held up the Datalog. "Like I said, there are things in here you shouldn't know until _after_ they happen. Long story short, it's a part of the whole "Thirteen Days" thing I mentioned. That's all I'll say."

She looked at him, and shook her head. "The Thirteen Days are in there, isn't it?"

"Yes, they are. Along with the adventures that came of it."

She sighed. "You do know that, sooner or later, I'll try to crack the codes, right?"

"And I doubt you ever will. No code is repeated. I have well over 500 codes in there. With my eidetic memory, I'll never forget which code goes where."

"Doesn't mean I won't try." Lightning challenged.

Jared just shrugged.

-2 days later-

It was nearing mid-afternoon, and Jared hadn't been seen by Lightning or Amodar since the festival the night before. He did his duty and then vanished once he was dismissed. Lightning, against her own beliefs, was actually worried, and it showed in her frown.

Her birthday party was about to begin, and he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Serah went to get it, and saw Jared, whom no one had seen in a while. "OH, you're here! Light's been worried about you." She said, earning said pinkette's attention from the next room. Jared came in, his face marked with soot, his hair frayed in a few places, and his clothes disheveled.

He also had a box under his arm, and looked at Lightning. "Sorry I cut myself off, but I had to finish a project of mine. It wasn't easy, let me tell you." He set the box down.

She looked at it in slight surprise. "What's this?"

"Have you opened their presents first?" He asked.

"Yeah, Serah gave me this." She pulled out the Survival Knife. "Snow, he gave me this." She pulled out the necklace, which confused her. "And this is from you?"

"Of course." She then took off the top of the box, and he smiled at her gaping face. Serah gaped herself, but at the fact that Lightning was gaping. Snow was confused as to what got her like this. "I wasn't entirely sure what you wanted it to do, but I did what I could, and added more than I probably should have. Either way, meet Blaze Omega."

She took out the gunblade, and outright admired it. "The Sanctum doesn't know about its creation, but I can guarantee you it's far better than your Blazefire Saber."

The gunblade was in it's gun form. It was Silver mainly, but it had what seemed to be black flames emanating from the end of the grip, and on the top heading forward. Other than that, it seemed pretty much standard for Gunblades in gun form. She then twisted the grip and slowly changed it to it's sword mode, and her eyes actually twinkled a bit. It was silver near the grip, and the handle hadn't changed, as she expected. It was beyond the silver paint that got her. The blade itself got darker until it reached black, and split into two lengths, like a pair of Grill Tongs, but bladed on one end. The blade itself also looked like it was made of flames, but that wasn't the strangest part, which caught her attention.

As she looked closely at the blade itself, she saw a single tendril of electricity run across the blade.

Next was the fact that the entire thing was nearly _weightless_ as that's what it felt like in her hand, as she admired it.

She then changed it back into it's gun mode, and looked at Jared with a small smile. "This... is great." Her voice didn't betray her feelings, but her eyes, and the smile sure did. Jared _knew_ that he had done good.

"You like it?"

"It feels... right. But why call it Blaze Omega when there's Lightning running down the blade?"

"Ah, noticed that, didn't you?" Jared teased. "Well, it's quite simple, really. You see, the blade itself has negatively charged Ions running through it, which produces the lightning you saw. However, in order to handle it, the entire thing had to be heatproof. And it is. Fire, Lava, desert, doesn't matter. Extreme heat won't affect it. If, by some chance, you become a L'cie, ay fire Spells would be enhanced tenfold. Same with Lightning element spells. It's also Lightweight, much more so than the Blazefire Saber. It's sturdy due to the materials being a Titanium-Mythril Alloy. I had to melt down a few of my older works, but it was worth it. What you see is the result."

She put the gunblade down, and hugged him, surprising the two other occupants. "Thank you... This is the best gift I've ever been given."

He returned it, and replied. "I was hoping for that." His voice was soft. "And for the record, the Jury is back." her eyes snapped open, and she pulled back to look at his face. "The answer is yes... unless I have to leave, I'll be there for you. And that's not happening anytime soon." His voice was soft, and alluring. Something that she liked. She nodded.

Snow cleared his throat, causing the both to look at him. Lightning had a glare, though. "I believe I should say this since you both were getting a little lovey dovey. Serah and I are engaged." Jared knew that goofy smile on his face. Dart had the same one when _he_ got the Green light from Queen Theresa, and Shana accepted _his_ proposal.

"Come again?" Jared noticed the edge in her voice.

"Hold on, Light." He put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"There is." Serah's voice was down, as if regretting her choice to speak.

Lightning looked at her in concern. "Serah... does it have to do with those bandages?"

She nodded. Jared just had a blank look on his face, which Lightning noticed, but didn't comment. Serah was more important. "Well... I'm a... L'cie." Her voice was so low, but everyone in the room heard it. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin hit the ground.

"Serah... You're kidding me right?" Lightning asked.

_'That is NOT what she said in game.'_

"No..." She was about to unravel the bandages, but Lightning caught her hand. "this is just so I accept Snow, isn't it?"

"No! I wouldn't do that!" It was at that point, Jared picked the end of the bandages, which then unraveled on their own, revealing the mark for all to see.

"It wasn't. It's because of the mark that she accepted, since he proposed, _knowing_ about it. Am I right?" he said, earning a small nod from them both.

Lightning looked at Jared. "You knew?"

He simply held up the Datalog. "Day 1." he put it away. "Long story short, Day 1 includes 2 Pulse L'cie being released from a Crystal Stasis and one pink haired female being branded by that same Fal'cie. He then took off his shirt, showing off _his_ brand. "Sadly, I was branded as well, but got a little talk with Anima beforehand. Apparently, I couldn't get a focus because of my position. You see the Dragon in a circle?" he pointed at it. "Notice that I have that on most of my clothes?"

Lightning noticed it, but was wondering why. "The representative of that particular power I held interfered, and made sure that I couldn't get a Focus. L'cie or not, I don't have a focus. Therefore, no chance of becoming a Ci'eth, and I won't turn to Crystal Either." He put his shirt back on. "The Dragon is the symbol of the Crimson Dragon. That particular Dragon gave me 50% of his power years ago, and since it interfered, I haven't been able to draw on it. Now, it has to assimilate with my body once again."

Lightning looked between Serah, Snow, and Jared, before sighing, and running a hand through her hair. "This just gets weirder and weirder by the second." She then shook her head. "Serah, you do realize that if anyone finds out, you'll be executed, right?"

Jared then picked up the bandages and put them back on, tight as they were before. "Yes..."

"Then why tell me?"

"She thought it was better than not telling you and betraying your trust." Snow pointed out.

Lightning looked at Jared. "And you knew?"

"I'm the one that informed Amodar about it, though I told him it was a possibility, not a fact." He replied, to which she sighed.

"That figures." She looked at Serah. "For now, keep quiet about it. No one else should know."

"Thank you, Light." she replied, with tears in her eyes, which the older Farron wiped away.

It wasn't long before the door was bust down by PSICOM, who was yelling orders. Jared narrowed his eyes, and had his hand on Reaper. The grunts aimed their guns. "What do you want?" Jared questioned.

"We want the L'cie! Your execution is at hand!" One of the Grunts shouted.

Jared and Lightning walked forward. Lightning had Blaze Omega in hand. Jared then held up a hand, and the wall had gained a hole in it to the outside. "Snow. Get Serah out of here. We'll hold them off."

Snow looked at them both, ready to fight. Snow looked at Serah, who was scared. Snow took her out through the hole, and then knocked out another PSICOM grunt, before taking the hover bike.

Jared and Lightning, on the other hand, were facing off with the PSICOM grunts, holding them off, before heading out of the hole themselves, seeing that Snow was long gone. Apparently, the Vestige had begun to move and was near the beach. Jared's vision saw that he was putting Serah off at the Vestige, which then brought her in.

"Serah is in the Vestige. Anima has her." Jared told Lightning, who had been testing out her new weapon.

She had noticed the rounds were also charged with Electricity, shutting down their suits. "EMP shots?"

"Looks like it." Jared replied. He then looked around, and saw that more PSICOM was running around. One looked their way, and ran up to them. "You! Soldier what happened?"

"The L'cie came through here and knocked them out." Lightning replied. "That hole was made by said L'cie, before he fled." he nodded her head to the hole in her house. "Since you're here, you can take care of them. We'll head after him." The grunt nodded in response, and Jared, alongside Lightning, ran off in the direction of the floating Vestige.

As they were running, she looked at Jared, silently asking him a question. "They won't remember a thing about us fighting them." He told her, earning a nod, as they continued to run, Reaper and Blaze Omega in hand.

They saw Snow on the Beach, who turned to look at Lightning. "The Fal'cie has her." His face was grim but determined. "I'm going to get her. If it's the last thing I do." he pounded his fist into his palm.

"Snow, I suggest you take NORA, and hide. Head to the Hanging Edge. There's going to be a purge." Jared looked at Lightning. "Light, you know what _that_ means."

"No..."

"I saw the report on the way here." He pulled her old Blazefire Saber out, and tossed it to her. "Hang on to that. I doubt the GC is going to get purged, but I will. I can hide my weapons. You can't. I'll hang on to Omega Blaze, and keep _that_ hidden too. I know for a fact I'll be purged, but you won't."

"But..."

"Do you trust me?" She looked at him. "Lightning..."

"I will, but don't think you're going to do this without my help."

Jared smirked. "Trust me. My train ride will be loud and obnoxious. Think you can handle it?"

She returned his smirk. "Easily." They grabbed each others hands in a deal sealing grip.

It was the next day that the Purge had actually begun, since the L'cie was found, but trapped in the Vestige, which was going to be relocated to the lower worlds, along with all residents and visitors to Bodhum.

Jared was near the end of the line, seeing an African American skinned man with an Afro. "Mind if I ask who you are?" Jared asked.

"What does it matter? We're all gonna get purged soon. We're going to hell." He replied, sadly.

"Not likely." Jared replied, as he saw Lightning at the front, turning in her Blazefire Saber. "If you ask me, Mayfil is hell. In my mind, nothing can beat Mayfil in that regard. Unless Pulse has Dragons, demons, ghosts, reapers and skeletons after your head just as you _pass by_, I highly doubt you can beat Mayfil."

"You talk as if you've been there before." The man asked.

"I have." Jared replied, as Lightning walked back to them. "Twice, in fact. The first time, was a mission I was given. The second time... let's just say that I did my hardest to keep out of sight _and_ scent so I didn't get attacked before I found my objective." Lightning had gotten back to them, and into the line.

"I take it you resigned to get purged?" Jared asked.

"Yeah."

"Wait, you wanted to get purged?" The man asked.

"What of it?" Lightning returned coldly.

"Are you crazy?"

Lightning looked at Jared, who shrugged. "I doubt she is. I, on the other hand, am Insane and proud of it." She sent a deadpanned look at him.

"Seriously?"

"It's in the job description." Jared told her. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question."

"Uh... Sazh. Sazh Katzroy."

"Jared Shadowwind."

"Quick question. You want a quiet ride?" Lightning asked.

"Uh... why?"

"If you do, you might as well take the next train." Jared answered for her.

Sazh was oddly silent at that. "You really _are_ Insane." he told them.

"I am. She isn't... yet." Jared smiled. "Spend enough time with me, you'll think you are going insane, but really it's just a point of view."

-later-

Jared, and Lightning were wearing identical robes, with Sazh next to Jared. "You really gonna do this?" Sazh whispered.

"Shh." Jared whispered back. He had the Shadows hide his armor and weapons, along with Blaze Omega.

"Everything set?" Lightning asked.

"Yes."

It wasn't much longer until the entire train as it was reaching the checkpoint. Jared and Lightning took this as the signal, and Jared, somehow, managed to get Sazh to join in to calm the others.

Lightning landed a single kick on a Grunt and deactivated the controller, before Jared chopped his neck with a hand, before moving his other hand to another Grunt about to aim at him, bringing the gun to his hand, and turning the gun on _him_ before firing 2 shots to the idiot's head, killing him.

They reached the armory in the train, Lightning picked up a Bazooka, and opened a door, before aiming it and firing at a Sky tank. Meanwhile, Jared tossed Sazh two guns, which he was promptly thanked for doing. Jared then went to the door, and _another_ Bazooka appeared on _his_ shoulder.

Lightning looked at him. "Another ability?"

"Guardian Ability." He replied. "Light, meet Stinger. Stinger, meet the Sky Tanks." He Pulled the trigger, and a single round hit a Havoc Skytank. Another missile appeared in his free hand as he loaded the weapon, before locking onto another one, and firing. He then saw something else. "Looks like we got ourselves a Warmech."

He was right, as said Warmech decided to land on the train, and derail it. Jared, Lightning and Sazh were now on the roof. Jared had released the Shadow Illusion covering his Armor, and had Reaper in his hand already. He also tossed Lightning Blaze Omega.

"You ready for this, Light?"

"You expect any less?"

Sazh just looked at the two. "Are you crazy?"

They didn't even answer. "Sazh, if I were you, I'd stay back, dodge whatever he sends your way, and fire from a distance. You've got the guns. Use them." he then charged, Reaper ready to strike. The giant scorpion-like Mecha just launched bullets from holes in the armor, which Jared noticed as they left their spots. He promptly deflected each bullet heading his way.

Lightning came in and repeatedly struck with her new weapon's Blade form, before jumping back and firing.

Sazh just kept firing, but was largely unnoticed.

The Giant Mecha then flew off a bit, and Sazh decided to taunt it. "yeah, not so tough now, are you?"

The thing came back down, the tail ready to strike, unlike last time. "Hey! That wasn't a challenge, or anything." Sazh, was obviously not that bright.

Lasers came from the tail, which Jared and Lightning dodged, as the Mecha deemed them the threats.

Once they were in front of it, a larger compartment opened up, as if charging a blast.

"Light! Dodge!" She jumped to the side, while he jumped into the air, and Sazh just wasn't in the line of fire.

Cerberus was out, and Jared had aimed it, as the beam was firing. "Tri-Blast!" Three glowing balls left the barrels, and collided inside the barrel the beam came from, thus making it self-destruct. Whatever was left just fell.

Jared landed soon afterwards, and the train was starting fall. "Time to move!" Lightning stated. Jared, and Sazh followed her a bit, and they made it to a floating road.

Lightning, Sazh, and Jared started walking down the road, where there was a large area of Debris. Lighting just jumped up certain areas, while Jared jumped the entire thing in one go, and landed right next to Lightning. "Show off."

Sazh come through Lightning's route. As they moved on, they were mostly silent. Two more PSICOM grunts were in the area, and taken out before anything could be done to counter. One shot from Cerberus got one, and Lightning got the other. Both neckshots.

As the two grunts fell, they moved on. They saw a teleport ring, in which two panther like beings in Red and grey come out. Sazh spoke up. "Not wanting to be purged I get. But taking on the Sanctum?"

"Better here than Pulse." Lightning retorted.

"Better Pulse than Mayfil." Jared pointed out.

"You mentioned that before. Where is it?"

"You don't want to know." Jared told the man. Lightning charged, followed closely by Jared. The two grunts, and 3 Pantherons were no match for the two soldiers, while Sazh only took out a single Pantheron. They just continued, Sazh doing so because they were able to help him get out of there.

A single missile came in and blew the road, making a large gap. Lightning looked at Jared, who shook his head, and then turned slightly. "That thing." Jared was pointing at a floating bridge. "Like it or not, Sazh is necessary. I need 6, and he's one of them."

Lightning just stared at him before moving towards the controls while the other two just followed.

Sazh looked at Jared. "What do you mean by "You need six"? What are you trying to pull here?"

Jared looked at Lightning. "You remember the Premonition I told you about?"

"Yeah."

"He's in it."

"Oh... If he pulls the same thing, better hope I don't kill him."

Sazh looked affronted at the conversation. "Whoa now! I didn't come here to die!"

"That's what PSICOM wants." Jared retorted, as the platform moved towards the bridge.

As they got there, there were two PSICOM Wardens, what they've been facing until now, and a much larger, heavily armored PSICOM Marauder.

As the three made it onto the portable bridge, the PSICOM soldiers noticed them. "Deportees? Put down your weapons. I'd hate for this to turn ugly."

"U-ugly?" Sazh asked, half scared.

"He wants to kill us without a fight." Lightning replied.

Jared pointed Reaper at the Marauder. "I'll get the big guy. You two take the runts."

"Runts?"Sazh questioned.

"The guys in green."

"Your time is up!" Said big guy had a lance in his hand and charged. Jared simply sent out a kick, which landed straight in his target's face. "OUCH!" Thus sending him flying.

"As I said, I get the big guy, you get the runts." Jared continued, before vanishing and reappearing in front of the Marauder, and kicking him out into the air. Hard.

Again, he went flying, but this time, Jared had his Stinger out, and ready to fire. He locked on, and pulled the trigger. The missile went and hit the guy, obliterating the body. He then shrugged it off as it vanished, and walked back to the others.

"So... Soldier. What's your Angle?" Sazh asked.

Lightning was silent. He then looked at Jared. "Is she always like this?"

Jared shrugged. "You're both soldier's aren't you?"

"Pulse Fal'cie." They heard Lightning say. Jared raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't think you'd tell him." Jared admitted.

"You have a lot to learn, then." She retorted.

"That I do."

Sazh's shocked face just added to the fact that he didn't know what was going on. "Wait, back up! You're after a Fal'cie?"

She simply walked up to the controls, and messed with a level, before the entire thing lit up, and sent them on their way.

"It has something of mine. I'd like to get it back." She then walked away from the controls. "Still happy you tagged along?"

He just looked down. "Didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice." Jared said, walking past and looking out over the edge. "Even if you don't see it."

"And if there's only one logical choice?" Sazh countered, with no bite in his voice.

"Then take the Insane one, and push through."

Jared then saw Snow with his naturally good vision. "Light, looks like Snow made it in time."

"What makes you say that?" She questioned, walking up to him.

"He's right over there." Jared pointed at a railway over 2 miles out from their position.

"Not even I can see that far."

"When you can ran at speeds reaching mach 1, you need good eyesight to adjust." Jared told them both.

"Running at Mach 1? That's impossible." Sazh stated.

Jared didn't even bother to look at him. "It's only impossible, if you don't know how to do it." he then found them reaching a group of more people, which Snow had just reached. "Looks like some of the Civilians aren't going down without a fight."

"He's bringing Civilians into this?" Lightning didn't like that, and her voice showed it.

Jared nodded. "At the very least he's asking who wants in, and who doesn't. If they're willing to fight, he'll bring them along. In fact, it was a civilian's idea. Not his. Relax for a bit. I'll keep a watch on him." He pulled out Cerberus, and shot to the side, sending a flying beast to the lake below.

It wasn't long, which Sazh and Lightning were using to their advantage, until Jared spotted something else and mused. "Looks like he's got a Behemoth coming his way. I wonder how he'll handle it."

Lightning looked at him. "A Behemoth?"

"That's what it looks like. Probably a Beta." Jared then narrowed his eyes. "The little bastards are sending in air support behind it."

"You got anything that can hit at this range? Like a Long range rifle?"

Jared shook his head. "No long Range rifle I know of can pierce that kind of armor. Stinger doesn't work at this range... That might work." He had a much larger Bazooka on his shoulder, and looked through the scope on the side.

"I thought you could see this far." Sazh pointed out.

"I can, with ease. I just need to make sure I lock on to the right target." Jared retorted, too calmly for his tastes. He noticed the Behemoth was down, but the giant skytank was right next to them, about to fire, right as he locked on. "Got ya." He pulled the trigger, and the rocket left the barrel, before heading into the air.

Lightning whistled. "That's a keeper."

"Javelin. Range doesn't matter, as it'll rain down fire."

Just then shrugged it off, knowing it would hit. And it did, but he also noticed it had a cannon charging, which was underneath, and thus, not affected. "Oh shit."

"The underbelly cannon?"

"Unfortunately."

"What?"

"there was a cannon on the underside that wasn't affected by the blast, and now it's about to..." he saw it fire, as did the others, along with the resulting explosion. "Fire."

He then narrowed his eyes. "If it got there faster, then this wouldn't have happened."

"Didn't you fire as soon as it locked on?"

"I did, but..." He shook his head. "Nevermind that." he then saw people falling. "the result of it firing haphazardly is sending the majority of civilians to their deaths by a fall... and Snow just grabbed one of them and the ledge." he then noticed two others. "Huh. Two kids watching it unfold."

he then saw the woman there die while being held. "Woman's dead, and _then_ she falls... And one of the kids are devastated."

"You can tell all that from this distance?" Sazh asked, impressed.

"Years of practice." Jared replied. "then again, the kids are still in their robes... and they're now taking them off. But in the case of the kids... I could _feel_ his emotions at this distance. They _have_ to be high to reach this far."

"Keep the commentary clean."

"I'm tempted to make a smart-ass remark, but I'd get the couch."

"You two married or something?" Sazh questioned.

"No." they replied.

"And the girl just slapped the disturbed boy... Now that I think about it, the girl fits the description of Vanille."

Sazh just looked out. "It's an all out massacre."

"Not surprised." Jared admitted. "all the purge really is: Extermination under the cover of Relocation."

"Huh?"

"Basic Sanctum logic." Lightning continued. "Why take the threat all the way to Pulse? Why not just stamp it out here?"

Sazh just grabbed a rope in response. "Taking us to pulse... How does the government get away with this?"

"Human nature." Jared admitted. "It's not just a Sanctum thing. It's happened before in other places." this earned both their attention. "A publicly announced Purge, simple relocation, Special Military Operatives watching over it, it's the basic setup for a massacre of something the government doesn't want out, while putting the populace at ease, for the most part."

"You knew this would happen." It wasn't a question.

Jared simply nodded. "When all the pieces are in place the strategy can be seen. It just takes someone that knows what to look for to counter it."

"In any case, the Purge is PSICOM's baby. I was Guardian Corps." Lightning replied.

Sazh just walked around. "Pulse Fal'cie and their L'cie are enemies of the state. If they're all going to trike them, does it matter what uniform they're wearing?" he asked.

"It mattered to him." She nodded at the fallen PSICOM soldier. "He couldn't shoot. He got shot instead."

He heard them walk off a bit. "What about you? Orders say shoot, you'll shot?"

"Target's a target." Jared said, having them both look at him. "It's much easier seeing it like that, but it doesn't make it right." He then narrowed his eyes and looked left. "Look alive. Incoming."

Lightning drew Blaze Omega, while Sazh pulled out his guns. "Myrmidon. Damn Automaton." Jared said, as he pointed his left hand at it. "fuck this. Spark Plasma!" A large concentrated bolt of energy left his hand, and hit the Myrmidon the entire thing started going haywire. "You gonna shoot or what?" he asked them, which they complied, and it fell down instantly. Jared just extended his shadow and sucked it in. This caused Lightning to look at him.

"What?"

"Do I even want to know how?"

"Shadow Vault. How do you think I keep my works on me at all times?" Jared asked her. "Anyway, I intend on melting down a few things later on, so I'm keeping them locked away." They then heard an alarm sound.

_Attention all deportees_

Jared tuned out the rest, and decided to look around. "Snow's alive... There's Vanille... Huh. Hope's there too."

"I don't recall seeing anyone named Hope." Lightning pointed out.

"He's the boy I mentioned. Hey, I _can_ read minds, you know?" Jared retorted.

"thought that was gone."

"Natural Jupiter Adept Ability." They returned their vision outward.

Lightning then took a few step back inward, and turned back to the edge. "Time to jump."

"Yea... Wait! HEY!" Sazh was not liking this, as she jumped off. Sazh went to the edge as saw her go down.

He didn't notice Jared sneak behind him and push him off. "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!"

Jared then just hopped off afterwards without a word. Lightning snapped, and then landed in the anti-gravity field, which transferred to the ground, which is _exactly_ where Sazh landed... as if he did a belly flop.

Jared then landed in a crouch, making a slight crack in the pavement. Lightning looked at him, with a raised eyebrow. "I've fell from higher points before, onto harder materials."

They continued to walk, ignoring Sazh's complaints. Jared then heard a childish scream, and turned his head, only to see Hope trying, and failing, to pilot a Hoverbike. He just sighed. "You know, Sazh, I think you might be able to give Hope a few tips later on."

"Huh? Why?"

Jared just pointed at the Hoverbike, which they both looked at. "That's the kids I mentioned."

"What makes you think that we'll..." Lightning trailed off, seeing the path they were heading. "What are they doing?!"

"My guess? Going after Snow." Jared replied.

"Aren't you a little _too_ calm for this?" Sazh asked.

"I may seem calm, but that's what Light thought when she first saw me."

She nodded, as they made their way into the Vestige, mainly by jumping to the lower ends of the Vestige, before Jared jumped and caught her, before bringing her _up_ somehow. She looked at him, and he looked down at her. "Give me some credit. I know where Snow put her before she got taken in."

He put her on a platform, which was open, before he went back down, and brought Sazh up, and landing.

"How did you do that?"

"Same way I got the Stinger and Javelin. It's a Guardian Ability." Jared said, before walking forward. Lightning, seeing its pointless to ask, just walked on.

"Come again? What's this Guardian thing?"

They reached a door with a glowing seal on it. Lightning recognized it, as well. She unsheathed her blade, and was about to attack, before Jared stopped her. "That won't work."

"What makes you think it won't?"

Jared looked at the glow. "You see the faint red glow? Not the symbol, but the glow on the door itself."

She then looked at saw it. "Some kind of Barrier?"

Jared nodded. "Yeah. It's impervious to Physical attacks... I'd say it was highly resistant to Magic too."

"Then what would you suggest?"

Jared closed his eyes and focused on the barrier.

"What's he doing?" Sazh asked.

"Sensing... I think." She replied.

His eyes snapped open. "Light, talk to it. Ask _her_ to open it up."

"Ask who?" Sazh asked.

"The reason we came here." Jared replied. He then looked at Sazh. "If I were you, I'd cover your ears, because if I'm wrong, and this doesn't work, I'm gonna break it down."

"Uh... do I even want to know how?"

"No." Jared replied, honestly.

Sazh did and got back. Lightning put a hand on the barrier, and felt it move slightly. "Serah... I'm here. Please let me in." She closed her eyes. "Please."

Jared noticed a green glow, which then deactivated the barrier, thus causing the door to open.

They continued to travel through the areas, and found a few Swerg Scandroids, which Jared took out with a well placed Storm Ray. Lightning just looked at him and kept going.

"What the hell are you to be able to use Lightning like you do? Are you a L'cie?" Sazh asked, surprised.

"That's not L'cie Magic." Jared pointed out. "It's Psynergy. I've ran into a L'cie before, and they used actual spells. L'cie Magic and Psynergy are different at the core. You saw me use it on the Myrmidon back on the Aero Bridge."

They continued on, and Jared just sent a few Bolts out every now and then. Nothing really approached them, and he was really doing it because he was bored. "To be honest, I'm actually bored."

They just walked along, but Sazh decided to keep conversation going, while Lightning just walked on. "What's the difference, if there is one?"

"Like I said, the difference is at the Core. In shape and sight, they're virtually the same. It's the Nature of them that differs. One major point that could be noted is this: if it were L'cie Magic, the area around the point of impact would not come out unscathed." He launched a Bolt that landed right next to Sazh's foot.

"Hey!"

"Take a look at where it hit."

"What are you-huh?" He looked and saw no damage. Not even a mark. No sign it was just hit. "No sign of a mark..."

"If it were a L'cie Spell, it would've at least left a Scorch mark. Doesn't nothing to the environment, but can still deal a _lot_ of damage to living beings, like you and me."

"That reminds me. How did you take that gun from the soldier on the train?" Sazh asked. "Some other kind of Psynergy?"

"Kind of." Jared admitted. "Honestly, it's not officially a part of Psynergy. What I did was similar to something else I can use, but that one only works on Metal Objects. You see, what I do is add an Ionic Charge to my hand, and use Psynergy to have a metal object gain the opposite charge. For example, I put on a Negative Charge, the object in question gets a Positive Charge. Laws of Physics do the rest. Simple Magnetic attraction."

"Okay, now that's just weird."

"When you've seen and done as much as I have, that would actually classify as _normal_." Jared admitted.

"You're crazy."

"I'm not crazy, I'm insane. I told you that, and there's a difference." he sighed. "All Guardians go insane sooner or later. I was just insane before I started, so it was really nothing new."

"Uh... How long is _later_?"

"Anywhere from 100 to 900 years old. Sanity rarely survives past that."

"Wait, how do _you_ plan to live that long?"

"Uh... right now, I'm pretty sure I'm older than you."

"Now you're just making things up."

"I'm 58 years old."

Sazh just looked at him in disbelief. "You're barely 25."

"Dimensional Guardians are ageless. They stop aging at 22 years old physically. It's so they can do their job longer. I can't die, but I _can _be killed."

"What's the difference?"

"In this case, dying is through natural causes. Heart attack, age, disease, stuff like that. Being killed: gunshot to the head will do just that... if I hadn't already taken a much harder blow by falling out of Mach 1.8 at 20,000 feet in the air, give or take. I was out of it for a few days, but I'm lucky I didn't die then."

"Anyway, since Soldier girl ain't talking, who exactly did you two come here for?"

"My sister." Lightning said. "She's a Pulse L'cie."

Sazh looked affronted. "She's a L'cie." Jared listen to him ramble on about L'cie, unable to choose the right words for what he wants to say. Jared just sighed. "This _is_ a way to get out of it." This stopped his rambling, and earned her attention as well.

"This is?"

"Yeah. She has to complete her focus. When she gets decrystallized... if that's even a word, It's possible the brand would be inactive. If that happens, it would be impossible for it to go on, and the Ci'eth Clock, as it's commonly called is nonexistent. Some L'cie... if they don't have a Focus, there is no Ci'eth Clock to begin with."

"No fear of turning Ci'eth... Must be good."

"At the same time, the lack of a focus means no Crystallization." Jared continued. "Both are possible. I should know."

"What do you mean?" Sazh asked.

"If we meet her, I'll let you know then." Jared replied. "Now let's move on."

"He's right." Lightning then continued as well, messing around with Blaze Omega.

Jared just shrugged and followed. "You coming, Pilot?"

Sazh just sighed, as the Chocobo in his hair squealed. "I know, they're crazy."

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!

More information on Fal'cie, L'cie relations in this chapter.

Serah shall be found next chapter!

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!

BEHOLD THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!


	4. Chapter 4

…

**Chapter 4**

Jared, Lightning and Sazh all saw the Ci'eth, and took them out with a lot more ease than it should have been.

The reason?

All Spells were blocked and reflected by Jared, who just stood there. As they made it to the end of the path, Sazh spoke up. "You got some kind of Magic Reflecting shield on? If so, can I have one."

"In a sense I do, and no, you can't."

"Why not? You got one."

Jared just looked at him. "It's a natural property of my armor. I made it to fight off a race known as Winglies. They are Magic users, a lot more powerful than even L'cie." They went up a bit, and found stairs at the end of the elevator, which they climbed. "By the way, Serah's right at the top of these stairs."

"Serah?" Sazh was confused, but Lightning wasn't. She ran up the stairs and saw her sister.

"Serah!" Jared just went up calmly, Sazh confused, slightly.

When they got there, Sazh had the same expression on his face as Jared had said. "Sazh, no."

"Do you at least know what her focus is?"

"Of course I do, and it's not complete yet."

"Wait, if you know then why are you letting it happen?"

"Because it has nothing to do with Cocoon as a whole." Jared was about to explain more but was cut off.

"SERAH!"

"And the Hero of NORA arrives." Jared turned and saw Snow, alongside Vanille and Hope. "And the group of 6 is also here."

Snow jumped off the descending platform, and then ran to Serah. Lightning just looked at him, before turning his attention back to Serah.

"Is that... my Hero?" the Serah asked.

"I'm here, Serah. So is your sister."

"I know... She called." She smiled weakly when she said it. "I'm glad."

"Serah... I wasn't able to ask. What do you..."

"It was to bring you two together." Jared told them, earning even the kids' attention. "Serah's focus had nothing to do with Cocoon as a whole. This entire situation was seen by me, and I knew then that it was her focus. Considering that I got the premonition when I touched the damn thing. Only difference, I wasn't here."

"Save us..." This had all eyes on Serah. "You can save us... Save Cocoon... You can do it..."

"Anything, I'll do anything. I'll protect Cocoon. I'll protect everyone." Snow replied.

"Somehow I'll make things right." Lightning added.

"Thank you." Serah then started to glow a light blue, and then floated up, before slowly turning into a Crystallized Sculpture of her, while everyone watched, and then a tear fell, and landed in Snow's hand.

"Serah! SERAH!" Snow called out.

Jared just put a hand on Lightning's shoulder. She looked at Serah, but glanced at him, before looking at her sister.

The silver haired kid, Hope Estheim spoke next. "L'cie who complete their focus, turn to crystal and gain eternal life."

"Just like in the Legends." Sazh added.

"Serah..." Snow continued. "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams?! She's dead!" Lightning was about to punch Snow, but Jared then had her in a full nelson, which she couldn't get out of.

"Lightning Farron, calm down! She's alive!"

"And what do you know?!" She shouted back, struggling to get free.

"I can feel her soul in the crystal! It's still there, meaning she's alive!" he shouted, giving _everyone_ pause, even Lightning stopped struggling, in the surprise. "You... You can..."

He let go, and she turned to him. "Yes, I can. It's why I was surprised when she managed to eavesdrop on us that one time. I already _knew_ her Spiritual Signature. Her Soul is in that crystal. She's alive."

Lightning just looked at Serah, Snow, the door further up, and then back at Jared. She then turned back to the door, and started going up to it. Snow saw this and followed her up. Jared went too, not even commenting anymore. Sazh, Hope and Vanille looked at each other, and followed suit.

It was when they reached the door that the place was being hit. "What the..." Sazh started.

"The Military!" Hope continued.

Jared turned sharply, and held out a hand, before a barrier of Shadows encased an area around Serah. After all the aftershocks faded, Jared lowered his hand, and the barrier on the door vanished, before it opened up. The barrier faded, and Jared turned a glare through the door. "Sometimes, I wonder if the people I work for are even more Insane than I am." he commented.

He then heard Hope's whining, so he appeared right in front of the kid, and slapped his face. "Stop whining! It's not going to get you anywhere right now." he told the kid. Everyone looked at him in surprise, Lightning especially. "At this point, you have 2 options, neither of which you would like. Number 1: See the Pulse Fal'cie alongside us. Number 2: go back out and get your body torn to shreds, mutilated, and then blown up by a missile. I, for one, am going for Option 1. Snow and Lightning have also chosen this option. Make your choice, and do it fast."

"So what?! Become an Enemy and live or go out and die, is that it?!" Hope shouted angrily.

Jared started to walk towards the Fal'cie. "You're already a target of the Sanctum. You're already an enemy." He didn't look at the faces belonging to Sazh, Vanille, Snow or Lightning. If he had, He'd see realization on Sazh's face, disappointment in Snow's, acceptance in Vanille's, and confusion in Lightning's. He just passed by them, but stopped at the door. "The choice here is not which one will cause you to die, because both of them lead to that possibility." He said. "But what's more important? Dying now, or getting the strength to protect yourself and those you care for by living on?"

This caused the realization to appear on Lightning's face, and then some on Hope's face as well. Snow then realized it as well, and followed the Guardian into the Fal'cie Chambers. Lightning went next, followed by Vanille, Sazh, and finally Hope.

The hallway was pretty long, but when they made it to the end, it was mostly just a bunch of meal and electrical equipment. Jared stared at the core cover, which he knew held part of the Fal'cie's Life force.

"Anima... I have questions I know you can answer. You gonna open up, and answer them, or do we have to make you?" Jared damn near demanded.

Lightning glanced at him, before pulling Blaze Omega out, and about to strike. "Like this thing gives a damn what we want!" She struck the cover, and Jared held back his hiss. Instead, he growled.

A barrier trapped them all in the room. Sazh looked at Lightning. "I guess we're stuck here." He said. "You think you can kill a Fal'cie?"

"I'm doing this for Serah!" Lightning retorted.

He then whispered to himself. "Dajh..." He then looked up. "Alright, I'm in. Just as long as you don't mind an amateur." He held up his guns. "I got these. Might as well use them."

Snow smirked at that.

"Light does it for Serah, Snow does it for Serah, Sazh suddenly got brave... and I've got a few questions." he pointed Reaper at the core, which was just revealed, as everything else was moving, and two arms came out from the ground. "Any more questions?"

Lightning was not surprised that her gunblade held up. Blaze Omega was far more powerful, and actually left more than its fair share of damage, with no damage to itself.

Snow as punching the core, while Sazh was shooting it. Jared, however, vanished and both arms fell apart, as if cut in two, before he ended up on the wall, and jumped to stab the core, which happened without incident. The arms had yet to regenerate, but the damage was already done.

There were sparks all over the place, then a bright light consumed all of them.

Jared found himself next to Anima's head, unlike last time where he was in front of him. Jared noticed who was branded and where. He raised an eyebrow when he saw where Anima got Lightning. When they all vanished, Jared looked at the big man's face. "Did you really have to brand her _there_? Seriously, that's not going to be a good thing."

"_Don't bother. It was the best place to put it."_

"At the very least you could've moved it closer to the center and a bit higher. Now she won't let _anyone_ see it... except maybe Fang, but definitely not Vanille. Snow knows better than to ask, and Sazh is just flat out scared of her. Hope, naïve as he is, is not stupid enough to ask. I, on the other hand, know better than to ask where it is, and _then_ to see it. I may be Insane, but I'm not stupid."

"_You want me to put you with the others?"_

"Please do, and don't knock me out."

Jared vanished, and found himself standing next to everyone else, who was unconscious. He went through their minds, and found Snow going through what happened at the festival. Lightning, oddly enough, was thinking on the battle against the Lightsworns.

**(You know, you should tell them.)** He heard Jain say.

_'Considering the fact that they're already enemies of the state, can't say I disagree. Gotta wait for them to wake first, though.'_ Jared told her.

"Serah!" Apparently, Snow just woke up. Lightning quickly followed, and Jared sat down on a higher ridge. His presence was hidden from the rest.

It wasn't long before everyone else woke up. Sazh looked at the Vestige. "Lake Bresha? Guess we fell from up there... and the lake turned to crystal?" Jared didn't comment. "Help me out here? I mean, did the Fal'cie do this?"

"Fal'cie crystallized the lake, yes." Everyone looked at Jared.

"You're alive..."

"Considering the fact that you _didn't_ fall from that height, I'm not surprised you guys are alright." Jared then jumped off of the crystallized ledge. "Anima branded us, crystallized the lake, and then teleported us to the surface. Apparently, it was Serah's request when she turned to crystal. 'Give them the strength to protect themselves.' That's what she asked for."

"What do you mean, Serah asked for this?" Lightning demanded. "She wouldn't have..."

Jared cut her off. "I read her mind as she was. That tear, is because of two reasons. First is the favor. The second, that she believed she couldn't marry Snow. That's why it went to his hand."

He then gazed to the right, and saw a Ghast. "Ci'eth..."

It came right up to Snow, and he blocked the downward strike he was sent, before pushing it back up. The mark on his arm glowed, his fist was charged, and he punched it, knocking it back. "What was..."

"Froststrike. No surprise, I guess." Jared mused, before he saw the two to the left.

"You used Magic!" Hope shouted. "The Fal'cie Cursed us! We're L'cie now!"

"Since you're L'cie, then fight." Jared retorted.

"But..." Jared pointed at the two Ghasts.

Lightning simply drew Blaze Omega, and instantly went for the blade mode. "Right."

Lightning, Snow, and Vanille went for the two, and took them out with more ease than it should've been.

As the Ci'eth fell, they heard Jared clapping. "Light, Snow, good job. Vanille, no surprise. After all, you were a L'cie before all this." This had all of them look at her. "Then again, so was I." he showed off his own brand, after opening up his chest plate. "Mine's different from all of yours. Same Fal'cie, different purpose. I didn't have a Focus. I came to Cocoon to do a job. I was branded when Serah was. I was just able to hide it better."

After finally realizing the ramifications, Hope sunk to his knees. "Why me?" He looked at Lightning. "I don't even know you, but you have to go and attack that thing?!"

There was no response to that. "Just leave me alone! It your fault..." His hands clenched into fist. "You could've..." He got up and stepped towards Snow. "All of this is yours and Serah's fault!"

Snow, predictably, took offense to that. "What?!" Hope backed off, and fell down. He then found himself looking at Lightning, who sent a glare his way. He then scrambled away from _her _and then got into a bit of a fetal position, before Vanille put her hands on his shoulders. "Sorry..." Snow said.

"It's alright. It'll be okay. You'll see." She then got up, him following slowly. "Let's go!" her voice was cheery.

"Vanille's got a point. We should go." Jared said, as he started to follow her, while turning his head. "You coming?"

Everyone just followed. They just walked along, mainly in Silence. After a while, they reach a metallic ridge and go over it, when Lightning spoke. "Okay, if we don't know our focus, how do we complete it?"

"Vision." Jared said, earning their attention. "When you get branded you have a vision. That vision shows the _only_ requirement for your focus, but sometimes, it doesn't end there."

"Huh?" Vanille asked, surprised. "How do you know this?"

"Lightning, I told you about what happened in the Vestige, remember?"

"Yeah, and that was a lie." She told him.

"No it wasn't."

"Oh really?"

"No, I did hear a voice. That voice was actually Anima. He was giving me a message from my employer. The one you all know as: The Maker." This sent surprise into everyone.

"The Maker..."

"Let's say we believe you. How do you expect us to just sit here?" Snow questioned.

"I don't." Obvious confusion. "Listen, I know something about the Focus, and that's what I was told. The Maker enlisted me for her purposes. The Fal'cie rule ends with us. The maker wants Barthandelus and Orphan destroyed. What you saw, is the key. But the key is all it is. It's what you _do_ with the key that decides what's going to happen."

"What about the Focus?" Sazh asked, now confused. "I mean, if the Fal'cie wants something, then shouldn't it be the thing's choice?"

Jared shook his head. "No. The Fal'cie doesn't strip you of your free will. The legends say the focus is what you must do. How you get there is irrelevant. From what I know, that's wrong. So, what did you all see?"

After some discussion, there was one word spoken. "Ragnarok..."

"So, Ragnarok has to be summoned, eh?" Jared crossed his arms. "Looks like our choice, if we summon it, is what to do with it. Just like when it turned on Pulse all those years ago." This was met with shock.

"Wait, it _turned_ _on Pulse?_" Sazh asked, surprised.

Jared looked at him and nodded. "Part of the job, I suppose. Ragnarok destroyed Pulse, not Cocoon. Any L'cie on both sides were killed, and then the civilians of Pulse were destroyed, and the two L'cie that made up Ragnarok, turned to Crystal, and were sealed in a Vestige. The same one that fell here. That was the _true _end of the War of Transgression."

Lightning then got what he was saying. "You're saying the Focus is only a Guideline, and the rest is up to us?"

Jared nodded. "Exactly. That's the jist of the message I got then."

"What did the message say, exactly?" Vanille asked, curious.

"She said, and I quote: 'The Focus is merely a guide. To be completed, it must come true, but sometimes, that is not the end. For example, if Ragnarok must be summoned, what is done with it is up to the summoner. It is why Pulse is uninhabited by Human life at the moment. Cocoon did not take them all out. Ragnarok did. Let the Defiers of Fate know this.' End quote." Jared sighed. "I can only assume the Defiers of Fate meant you all."

Lightning then remembered something. "It's in the Datalog, isn't it? The reason why you thought we were the Defiers of Fate."

Jared smirked. "Of course." His face then went serious. "If anyone else has a Datalog, hold it out. I'm gonna send you all some information I _know_ you can use. Light? I'm also sending the entire set of the Thirteen Days."

She took hers out, as did Snow and Sazh. Hope and Vanille didn't have one, though. Jared hit a few buttons on his own, and then information went into each of the three. "Wait until we're out of here before you go through it. Also, it's linked to your minds now. In case you use Libra on something. It's a L'cie technique that allows you to see all the statistics of an enemy... Light, I used it on Jain."

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "Who's Jain?"

"Leader of my Eidolon."

"Wait, what?" Hope was obviously not expecting that. "You have an Eidolon Already?"

"That's what they were testing you for, wasn't it?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah. Didn't see it coming at first, but honestly? Not surprised, though. I guess I should tell you about what I can do for now."

"First, I'm gonna find Serah. She's around here somewhere." Snow started to walk off, surprisingly, in the right direction.

"Hey! Wait!" Vanille cried out, going after him. Jared blinked. "How he knew to go that way is beyond me. I _know_ he isn't a sensor like I am." He then went after them both. Lightning raised an eyebrow, and followed suit.

Sazh and Hope looked at each other, both in confusion. "How does he do that?"

"Kid, I think it's better if you don't ask questions. Normally, I wouldn't believe every other word out of his mouth, but with what I've seen him do before all this, I can honestly say, it'll save you the headache not worrying about it."

"Uh... Okay..." Hope replied, unsure.

"Trust me kid. You're better off _not_ knowing." Sazh walked towards them, with Hope right next to him. "Come to think of it, now that I _have_ the power of a L'cie, I can tell that he was telling the truth about that Psynergy. He's used them both here. Guess he wasn't using the abilities before, well, this." He gestured around him.

Hope looked around. "I... I don't know what's going on but..."

"Come to think of it, you were with Vanille when the bridge was blown, weren't you? The one where Snow and that woman fell?"

"You know about that?" Hope asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I know. Lightning does too. We both couldn't see it, but Jared, the one that slapped you back there, he saw the whole thing." Sazh admitted. "Apparently, when the woman fell, he said that you were devastated. Was she your mother?"

Hope looked down as they walked. "Y-yeah..."

"Well, get this. He said she died, and _then_ fell."

"Wait, how did he..."

"He didn't give us a play-by-play, if that's what you're asking."

"Wait, that missile. Do you know who launched it?"

"Yeah. Jared. Saw him launch it firsthand."

"How far out were you?"

"Did you see the Portable Bridge?"

"The closest one was miles away from us."

"Yeah, he said it was 2 miles out. I had to agree with him there." Sazh shrugged.

"2 miles... how did he even see what was going on?"

"He claimed to be able to run at Mach 1." Sazh looked ahead and saw Jared. "Now, I just might believe it."

"But that's impossible!" Hope told him. "I mean... running that fast..."

"That's what I said too." Sazh admitted. "It's what he told me that got me thinking. It's only impossible, if you don't know how to do it. He probably already knows how to do it, and has done so." He shrugged. "At this point, I'm leaving the cards open, if you know what I mean."

"I guess... " Hope trailed off as they managed to catch up to the others.

Snow looked at the others, Jared included. "You say that the Focus is only a guideline. Not a given, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then I'm taking Serah's word. I'm going to protect Cocoon."

"When we find Serah, we can ask her what she really meant, and what she really wants to say." Jared said, earning everyone's attention.

"You can revert her back?" Lightning asked, surprised.

"No, I can't. If she were a Ci'eth, then maybe, but Crystal? I doubt it." Jared said. "What I mean by that is, I can bring her soul out of the body, for a set time, before it _has _to go back, or it will fade, and she really _will_ die."

Sazh heard this, and honestly, was surprised, but asked a different question than one would think. "How long would she have to talk?"

"I'd wager about 2 or 3 hours, max. Why?"

Lightning and Snow were actually considering it, which surprised most of them.

"Wait, you're actually _considering_ this?" Hope asked, more out of shock.

Snow and Lightning just looked at him, and then back at Jared. "I'd only need 30 minutes. Is there a set range from the body that it can take?" She asked him.

"About 10 yar..." His eyes narrowed, as he glanced left. "Company."

Lightning drew Blaze Omega.

Apparently, PSICOM decided to surround them at that moment. There looked to be at least 18 PSICOM Wardens. "Hands behind your head!" The L'cie did so, aside from Lightning and Jared.

One of them spoke. "You fall off the Purge Train?"

Lightning chose that moment to be snarky. "Maybe."

"You mocking me?" The guy walked up to her and held the gun near her neck, causing her head to go up.

Then his gun was cut in half by something from the side. "What?"

He looked at Jared. "Wait... I know you!"

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know you."

"You were the one our squad was to follow that day!"

"Oh. You were in that group? Seriously, you guys need nametags." Jared replied.

"I don't know how you knocked us out, but you're going to die here and now!"

Lightning decided she didn't like that idea, and decided to knock the guy out, kick Blaze Omega into the air, and take out several PSICOM soldiers with ease in the surprise. The rest jumped into action, and took them out with a few spells. Hope used Fire, Vanille used Aero, Snow used Blizzard, and Sazh used fire. Lightning just used Blaze Omega before using Sparkstrike on one of them. Jared took down 2 of them, both with Mortal danger cutting through the armor.

After they all fell, Sazh made a comment. "Thought they'd be tougher than that. These guys are PSICOM, right? Supposed to be the cream of the crop."

"PSICOM is an Anti-Pulse Task force." Snow commented, walking up to a down soldier. "Haven't fought a war in centuries. A bunch of rookies, swinging overpriced toys."

"You mean to say that a regular soldier has more training than Special Forces?" Sazh asked, a little surprised, but not as much as he probably should be.

"PSICOM's grunts may be cream, but their elites are coldblooded beasts. They hit the field, it's game over." Lightning stated.

"That is, unless either I'm around, or you guys get stronger as L'cie."

"Then let's run away! Ciao!" Vanille said before running off.

"Wark!" The chocobo in Sazh's hair chirped, while said man sighed. "What's a man to do?" He then walked after her.

Everyone else just looked around, aside from Jared who went down the same path. Snow took that path too, followed by Lightning and Hope, who was still scared of the female Soldier.

As they continued, they were walking down a metal ramp that seemed to be part of the Purge train.

Jared stopped, and looked to the right. Lightning noticed this, as did Snow, who then looked in the same spot as he was. Lightning's eyes widened, Jared jumped over the railing, and Snow flat out ran to it. "Serah!" That was Snow.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of there."

"Wait, Snow." Jared said, calmly. He just pulled out a large metal object, and was about to start using it to dig. He grabbed Snow's arm, stopping him.

"What are you..." He trailed off when he saw Jared's eyes.

"Let me do my thing first. _Then_ you can dig her out, but not with that."

"But..."

"Don't say what I _know_ you're going to say, because it'll only serve to make things worse." Jared said, before walking up to the crystallized Serah. He put two fingers on Serah's Forehead, and two more on her Navel. His eyes glowed a bright white, before an astral projection of Serah, with clothing was above the Crystallized Version of her, and _everyone_ saw it.

"_What... What happened?"_ She asked. The voice was raspy, but not weakened or pained.

Lightning and Snow's eyes widened. "Serah!" They both shouted.

"_Light? Snow?"_ She then saw Jared. _"Jared? What's going on?"_

"You don't remember, do you?" Jared asked. "Hope, Sazh, Vanille, come with me. Serah, from what I felt, you've got 1 hour 27 minutes for this. Make it count." he walked off, pulling Hope and Vanille with his arms, and while Sazh just followed.

As they walked off, Jared felt something wrong, and he turned, before he saw the Manasvin Warmech. Sazh also recognized it the moment he saw it. "Wait, isn't that..."

"Looks like it." Jared said. Hope and Vanille were confused. "Long story short, Light, Sazh and I took care of something like this on the Purge Train. Hmm... I wonder if its the same one."

It then flew up, gaining Lightning's and Snow's attention. Jared just looked at them. "You two worry about Serah! We'll handle this!"

Lightning looked about ready to argue, but then remembered who she was talking to, and nodded, before turning back to Serah, and continued talking to her. Snow just looked at her, and was about to ask, when she spoke. "He'll be fine. He could've obliterated one of those on the Purge Train, but he didn't."

Snow looked back, and then at Serah.

Jared, on the other hand, set up a barrier around them that would protect them from _any_ attack. It was a Shadow Barrier. Then he started to attack, before he got a crazy idea. "Hey! Your mother was a Can-opener!"

"You think that'll work?" Sazh asked, surprised.

The machine turned on Jared, who now had a green Aura around him, as the Mecha started firing everything it had at him, none of it doing much damage. Jared simply replied sarcastically. "What do you think?"

"Sazh, start attacking. Hope, Vanille, spells. Heal someone if they need it, but don't worry about me." The green aura turned blue. "I've got Mediguard active."

Vanille nodded. The aura dissipated, but the mecha was taking more hits from the three, before it decided to open up the compartment. "Come on! You're a fucking trash heap! Can't even damage a lowly human!" Jared shouted, before a blue aura appeared, covered by a dark orange one. More and more damage was done, before the Mecha started glowing itself, and the beam hit Jared, not doing anything to him.

"Cure!" Vanille said, sending a green orb to Jared, who feel slightly better.

"Leave the rest to me!" Jared shouted. "Vendetta!" He charged and sent a single punch busting straight through the armor, into the core, and out the other side, which he come out, as the entire thing started to self-destruct.

Jared looked at the others, who were in awe of what he just did. Even Vanille was surprised. "How did you..." Sazh started.

"Sentinel Ability. Sentinels are actually the defensive class of a L'cie. Ravager are the Offensive Mages, mostly. They may have a few physical spells, like Froststrike, Sparkstrike, Flamestrike, and the like. Commando class is the leader class. From what I've seen, right now, Sazh, Snow, Lightning and myself have the Commando Class. Snow and I have the Sentinel Class. Sazh, Lightning, and Snow have the Ravager Class. Actually, of those present, I think I'm the only one that _doesn't_ have the Ravager class at the moment."

"There's also Saboteur, Synergist and Medic." Vanille continued. "I have Medic, which..."

"Medics are what the name implies. They heal. Nuff said." Jared finished for her. "Synergists are Defensive Support. They cast spells too, but theirs are for allies. Things like Protect, Shell, Brave, Faith, and the like. Saboteurs are Offensive Support. They do the opposite of Synergists and target the enemy more. At the moment, my Classes consist of Commando, Sentinel and Synergist. Sazh, you have Commando and Ravager. Hope has Ravager, Synergist and Medic. Vanille has Ravager, Saboteur and Medic. Lightning has Commando and Ravager. Snow has Commando, Ravager and Sentinel. That fight, I took Sentinel the entire time."

They walked back, while Jared explained the concepts of each one, as he knew them. Sazh and Hope understood how he was putting it. Vanille already knew all this, and chimed in when he forgot something. They got back, and the barrier was down. Lightning and Snow looked grateful, while Serah had a smile on her face. "You both get your fill?"

The two solid people nodded. "Thank you." Snow said. "If not for you, I wouldn't be able to do this for a long time."

Jared nodded. "I know. So, still want to dig her out?"

"_Jared, wait. I want to thank you for what you've done with my sister. She may seem cold to others, but you've seen underneath all that from the beginning. Keep her straight, please."_

Jared raised an eyebrow. "I'd have done that even if you didn't ask."

"_Thank you. Uh... they said I might fade if I'm away from my body for too long, but where is it?"_

"You're done talking?" Jared asked. "It's only been like 20 minutes."

"_Yes, I am."_

Jared sighed, and nodded, before pointing at the crystal. "That's your body for the time being. I take it Snow's going to try and get you out of here?"

"_He's not budging on that matter."_ She giggled. _"And I'm not surprised."_

Jared nodded. "All you have to do is float into the body. It's that simple." She nodded, and with a smile and a wink, she went back into the crystal. He looked at Snow and Lightning. "Alright, what's the plan, Light? You talked with them both."

"Snow's staying here. He's going to try and dig her out. Meanwhile, the rest of us are getting out of here. I don't see why, though."

Jared looked out. "Fang's nearby. If she sees you, she _might_ help. Emphasis on Might." he then looked at Snow, before he pulled a Jackhammer, a Drill, a shovel and a Pickaxe out of his shadow. "There's your tools. Good luck."

"What _don't_ you have in that shadow of yours?"

"Hmm... a Plane, Heavy duty construction equipment... that's a few things that I can think of."

Vanille cocked her head slightly. "You have a house in there?" Everyone else looked at her in amusement, until Jared sent his reply.

"As a matter of fact, I do." This earned shocked looks from _everyone_. "It's old fashioned, though. No plumbing either." He looked around. "And I doubt I'd get any electricity here, at that. It runs on Geothermal Energy, which is how I know it works. But here... Geothermal energy is nowhere close to here. It's a crystallized Lake. No true connection. No connection, no electricity. Plain and simple."

Lightning sent a pointed look at him. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Because Cocoon is sorely lacking in Geothermal Energy, and I have 80% of my Psynergy locked away. Including what I used for Water. We should go."

Everyone nodded., and Lightning led the way out. She stopped, and turned to look at Snow. "Make sure you get her out of there, Snow. And keep your word."

"I plan on it." Snow replied.

"And I want my Pickaxe back when you're done with it." Jared said. "The others, I could care less."

"That reminds me. Why do you even _have_ a jackhammer?" Snow asked.

Jared smiled a bit. "Headaches are a pain. That gets rid of them." Everyone looked at Jared as if he was insane, aside from Lightning who shook her head. "What? It's true! I have 5 for that very reason... Okay, I use 2 of them on my head, 1 for my back, one for digging, and one in case one of the others break down."

"You know what? I'm not even gonna ask." Sazh stated flat out.

"You'll be better off that way." Lightning added.

Hope and Vanille looked at each other, and then they all walked off, while Snow started digging. As the rest left Earshot, Snow gave one more comment, before starting up the Jackhammer. "He's definitely insane, but at least he comes prepared."

-2 hours of walking later-

The main group of L'cie had been going through fight after fight, through crystallized water, and then finally found some kind of ruins. Jared managed to get Hope to fight as well. Hope didn't want to kill Snow, but he _did_ want to make the guy suffer for a bit because of his mother's death. Jared knew this, but then told him of what happened with Lavitz, and then again with Dart. When Lavitz took revenge, he died shortly afterwards. Dart didn't take his revenge when he was offered it, and he lived on to this day.

Long story short, he's not going to strike Snow for revenge. Instead, he's going to use it to test Snow when they meet again. As they went through the ruins, Jared didn't point out the shortcut, and had them go the long way around. Better for training, but the Behemoths were simply put, monsters on the field. Jared took on a few solo, but the others had to team up to take them out. He usually put Haste on Vanille and Hope, to have them get more strikes in. Sazh had been Getting Faith and Bravery cast on him from Jared, who then decided to take any and all attacks using weird, yet slightly original taunts, and then Mediguard with Vendetta over it.

That's another thing the game left out that would've been highly useful. You could layer the shields using the Sentinel Abilities, but while using one Sentinel ability, you couldn't use anything from another class. However, by this point, he had learned Ruinga, which was, by far, his favorite spell. None of the others had it yet, but they didn't realize that he had progressed so far already.

As to why he was so far into it while they weren't, he explained it. "I've had it longer, and fought a lot more than I should have. Every time you fight, every time you land a hit, every time you cast a spell, every time you do anything regarding a fight, even by taking damage using Steelguard and the like, you progress. Lightning, do you remember how much fighting we did against Jain and the others? More specifically, how many I took down?"

"Quite well, actually. Which reminds me, _why_ haven't you summoned them yet?"

"Don't need to. These guys are small fry, and Jain knows it. Sentinel and Commando I've gone far, but not as much in Synergist. That's why I'm mainly using Sentinel and Synergist, and then using Commando to attack while I solo a few of these idiots. Even PSICOM can't handle it. What's more is, while I'm in Commando and Synergist, I can still use Psynergy. I can't while using Sentinel Abilities, though... aside from Slap, but that's not that useful here."

"You can slap someone with Psynergy?" Sazh asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, truthfully any Adept can do it. What it does is make a Hand out of Psynergy, and have it slap the target. Plain and simple." Jared shrugged. "Anyway, Hope, Vanille, you notice how you're casting spells faster than usual, right?" They both nodded. "That's because I've been using Haste on you both. I've been using Bravery and Faith on Sazh, and Protect on Light. I don't have Shell yet, so I use Ward instead. Ward is Psynergy. Shell isn't. They both have the same effects, though."

As they traversed the ruins, PSICOM started to make up the majority of the enemies, and they were taken out with a lot more ease the more they fought. Really, it took maybe 40 minutes after that that they reached the end of the ruins, and found a rock wall with Orange crystals lining the base of it.

As they walked around, Jared felt something incoming, as did Sazh and Lightning. The two from Cocoon didn't know what it was, or _where _it was, but they knew Jared sensed it and knew _where_. As such, they silently asked him. "Oh, wow!" Vanille was impressed.

Powerful or not, Jared knew that Vanille was still a bit of a curious kid in personality. "I'm gonna have a look around!"

"Stay close." Lightning said, as she skipped off.

Jared then looked up and to the right, and made an RPG-7 appear. "A Bazooka?" Lightning raised an eyebrow. "The version that _my_ home uses." Jared replied, as he pointed it forward, before Vanille came back scared to face it alone. Jared didn't even hesitate, and fired the RPG and it hit the giant bird.

They all prepared for a fight, while Jared mentally reviewed the enemy's form, and tried to match it with information he already knew. The wings were _not_ feathered, having four protrusions instead. The skin was a light tan, and the tail was a glowing white.

In game, he knew it was a Garuda Interceptor. Jared then spoke aloud. "This is a Garuda Interceptor. Don't use Lightning element Spells, and strike! Oh, and if I say something crazy after doing something stupid, don't question it and do it!"

The last part confused them, but Jared sent the Support out, but instead of one or two on each, he used Bravery on all of them, followed by Protect, Haste, Faith, and then used Resist. He still didn't have Shell, so he made do with what he did. After that, he decided to jump onto a column. "Hey! What are you a Chicken?" This earned an irritated screech, and it started to attack Jared, while the others did Damage.

Jared, on the other hand, only had Haste, Protect and Resist affecting him from the get go. Reaper was put away, and he simply kept dodging the attacks, taunting the bird, such as: "Missed me!"

Then he used it again, but the third one differed. "Now you've gotta kiss my butt!" At this he spanked himself while shoving his butt in the air. It ignored the people on the ground attacking it for a bit, before starting to charge up and breaking through the wall.

"It's charging up... and we're talking about that later." Lightning said, before running after the thing.

"For what?" Sazh asked.

"It's final Moments."

"It wants to kill me first." Jared said, before restarting all the enhancements for the group.

"That I can understand." Sazh admitted, as Jared jumped away from the group.

The group mainly used spells. Lightning stuck to Ruin, while Sazh, Vanille and Hope stuck to Aero. Jared simply dodged every attack sent at him, and even when the thing started firing the Hellstorm Bolt it missed. Again, the taunts were seriously getting on its nerves. The thing then glowed, as if it were staggered in game.

Jared then rolled his eyes a bit, gave himself Bravery, reset Haste, and then jumped up, drawing Reaper. As he came down, he landed right on its head, making it thrash around, as he had Reaper in it's neck.

"Everyone! Hit it with your most powerful Spell!"

There was the crazy plan after a stupid action. Lightning did just that, using Fira, which was enhanced by Blaze Omega. Hope fired an Aero spell, not having anything higher. Vanille used Aerora, and Sazh used Flamestrike.

However, when they all met Jared pulled out, jumped off, and an explosion came, taking the thing down, and Jared landed unscathed in front of them. "Alright, I guess we can use the ship to get out of here faster."

"What about Snow?" Lightning questioned.

Jared looked out. "He'll meet up with Fang soon enough."

"This'll make things easier!" Vanille commented.

"Uh huh. Knowing our luck, it's probably missing an engine." Sazh commented.

Jared just got on, and checked it out. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

He then got a call, and knew it was from Fang. "Fang? What's up?"

_Found Villiers. Just knocked him out. You were right. He beat the Twin Sisters._

"Good to know. Did he free the crystal?" He asked as the rest were getting on the ship.

_Not quite, but he made it a lot easier that's for sure._

"Who's that?" Lightning asked, as they took off.

Jared looked around. "That reminds me. Vanille is on my end."

_You found her? Where are you?_

"Relax, Fang. She's safe."

_Put her on._

He took the Scouter, as he called it, and handed it to Vanille. "Put it over your ear, the screen over your eye." he told her, which she did.

"Fang? Fang is that you?"

Jared was the only one to hear what was said. _Yeah, it's me. Remember when I told you that one guy knew more than he let on?_

"Yeah, but you never gave a name."

_He gave you the phone you're talking to me with._

Vanille looked at Jared, wide eyed. "Do you know how much he knows?"

_He knows more about this so called adventure than he's telling us. After all, it's a game where he's from. He also nearly beat the game itself, so he knows what's what. I'd say he knows just about everything there is to being a L'cie._

"Well, he already showed he knows more than me. He... he also said that Ragnarok destroyed Pulse. And that he's here at the Maker's Request."

_Huh. With what he told me about the Guardians, I'm not surprised. So, he show you the Dragoon form, yet?_

"Dragoon form?" She looked at Jared in confusion.

"Tell her its locked away. Along with most of my spells and Psynergy. All I got is the Jupiter branch of Psynergy, a select few Dark Element spells, Guardian Abilities, and the ones I gained as a L'cie."

"He said..."

_I heard what he said Vanille. Listen carefully, Oerba Dia Vanille. If he tells you to do something in a fight, no matter how crazy or insane it may seem: Do it. He went up against the might of a God of Destruction before, and he's with you. His physical ability, I doubt was diminished, so he could probably run about Mach 1. If not faster. He'll be fine. Any advice he gives, take it to heart. If he quotes something, then pay close attention. Understand?_

"Y-yes, but..."

_Vanille, this is important. You should listen to him as if he were me. I wouldn't admit this to anyone else, but he's stronger than I am physically. Not to mention he's smarter, and doesn't _need_ to use spells to beat me. He'll be either your best friend, or your worst enemy. I'd rather have him as a friend._

"Okay... Fang."

_Good. Give him the phone._

She handed it back to him. "So you know, I heard everything you told her."

_You don't understand privacy, do you?_

"I do, but she's using _my _Scouter for the call, made from _my_ abilities. I'd hear it whether I wanted to block it out or not. Good luck training Snow."

_Is that all you have to say?_

Jared turned a bit. "Considering the fact that PSICOM is gunning for us, I think it's better to be focused on the here and now. Wouldn't you?"

There was silence. _Got it. Make sure Vanille lives, you hear me? If I find out she dies, its on your head._

"I know it would be. See ya." He pushed a button and put it away.

"Abilities?"

"Mechanical Summon. I already gave Lightning the explanation. She already knows my full skill set, locked or not, aside from my L'cie abilities." Jared replied. "And Sazh, if I were you, I'd do a bit of Fancy flying. PSICOM will reach us in about... 10 seconds."

Right on cue, PSICOM started firing, as they went through a tunnel. Sazh started piloting like a madman. Weaving in and out of fire, lasers, and between buildings.

"Give me that." Lightning was reaching for the controls, and took out one of the Skytanks using the laser.

"Let go Lightning." He said. "This, is my department."

"What can you do?" She questioned.

"Did you forget my Mechanical summon ability already?"

"How do you plan to fire rockets from in here?"

"Who said anything about them being _inside_ the ship?" Just then, Missiles went passed them. They were white with a black ring, 3 fins, and a red head. "Radar Missiles. Gotta love them." Lightning was surprised.

"I thought you said you couldn't make them if you couldn't..." Lightning trailed off.

"Understand them." Jared finished for her. "And I used the 15 years in Weyard to do just that. Figuring out how things in _many_ games worked, I managed to recreate quite a bit of tech used in games, shows, and how they could be applied Logically. Radar Missile is just one of them. Just be glad I can't make the Black End Galaxy on my own. I can't manipulate Gravity. Magnetism, yes. Gravity, no."

Sazh then flew in a valley, as more were behind them. "Anything for behind?"

"I'm thinking." Jared then spotted an archway. "Wait, go under that arch."

"Why?"

"Trust him!" Vanille shouted.

"Uh, alright then." He did, and 3 Radar Missiles hit it right before they went under, and quite a few of them were destroyed from it, as they flew off. "Now, let's get out of here!"

As soon as they were in the clear, Sazh turned on a few holodisplays, and things started playing. Mainly the news of the purges, followed by the one Jared knew as Primarch Dysley. When Vanille switched it back, she asked a question, which Sazh was about to answer.

"That is Primarch Dysley. From what I was told, he's in cahoots with Orphan and Barthandelus."

"What about that game Fang mentioned?" Vanille asked.

"What game?" Hope asked.

"This is news to me." Lightning pointed out.

"I'll give you guys the short version. It's what would've happened here had I not gotten involved." Jared admitted. "Anyway you want to know what happened in the game?" he pulled out the Datalog, which they all recognized, and uploaded the video of them confronting the Primarch on the Palamecia.

-The recording-

"_L'cie?" Dysley chuckled. "No, I am MUCH MORE THAN THAT!"_

_Just then, he glowed, and transformed into a giant being._

The recording froze as the new form came into view. "That, everyone, is Barthandelus. The first time you face him in game. After beating him, you get sent to the Fifth Ark." Jared explained as the recording vanished, and he shut down his Datalog. "That's one of the reason why I don't trust the Sanctum. For now, I'm sticking with "Dysley is in Cahoots with my targets, so keep an eye on him". Any more questions?"

"Yeah, where did you get this footage?"

"Memory of the game." Jared tapped his temple. "I have Eidetic Memory, Sazh. I _never_ forget _anything_."

Lightning then decided to ask a question. "Think we should stick as close to the game as possible?"

Jared looked at her, as did the others. "You mean, following someone else's path?"

"Look at it this way. We follow this game, it makes it easier for him to predict what'll happen next, and he can plan accordingly." She replied.

"She's right. It's what I did with the Legend of Dragoon world, but I was there for 20 years. You'll hear me mention Endiness. Both are the same place. It's also where I met Fang. In a nutshell, after all that time there, the changes, though few with the actual characters in game, made a few much larger changes in how some beings were fought. Mainly the Divine Dragon, who was named Ragnarok. Ironic, since the Ragnarok here is probably different in form, _and _ability."

"Two forms of Ragnarok?" Sazh asked.

"I think they're entirely different entities, Sazh. The Ragnarok I faced was a Dragon. The one here, I'd say looks nothing like a Dragon with 7 wings, 7 eyes, and a cannon on its back." Jared told them.

Just then, an alarm went off. "Here they come." Jared said.

"Any ideas?!" Sazh shouted.

"Yeah! Find the bright light, and head to it!" Jared shouted back.

"Are you insane?!" Sazh questioned.

Everyone looked at him with a deadpanned stare in response. "Haven't we already established that?" Lightning questioned.

There was no response, aside from the shaking from the gunfire on them. Soon enough, they found said light, and went into it, and found a Sanctum Fal'cie. "This what we were looking for?" Sazh asked. "It's a Sanctum Fal'cie. Cocoon's light in the sky."

"Phoenix is his name. Light's his game." Jared replied.

Then they were reminded of their tails. Lightning decided to beat him on what to do next. "Go in. We'll lose them in there!"

"You're insane too!" Sazh replied.

"No, just smart." Jared retorted. "I was about to say the same thing, as that _is_ what happened."

_Then_ Sazh did just that. They were hit once, and then they fell out of the sky. Sazh managed to cast Protect, as did Hope, and Jared... Hope used it on Vanille and Jared. Sazh used it on himself, and Jared used it on Lightning and Hope.

They crashed into the Vile Peaks. Hope, Vanille and Sazh were unconscious, but Lightning and Jared weren't. In fact, Jared seemed unfazed by the crash, though Lightning was a bit woozy. "How are you not dazed?" She asked.

"Remember when I said I dropped out of Mach 1.8 at 20,000 feet?"

"Yeah."

"Did I mention I was conscious until I hit 500 feet?" Jared asked.

"No..." Her voice went deadpan.

"Well, now you know." He then turned his head slightly. "Pantherons. 5 of them."

"Such a low number." Lightning commented.

"Not even worth waking the others." Jared said, drawing Reaper with ease, before cutting one of them in half. Lightning fired a single shot, taking out another one.

"Fira!" Lightning shouted, taking out two more.

"Ruinga!" That took out the last one, with a much larger explosion, that woke the others up, but they were groaning. Vanille looked at them, as they sheathed their weapons.

"What is it with you and big bangs?" She asked.

"Passing interest." Jared admitted. "Come on, the others are awake. Let's set up a camp for now."

"We _should_ keep going." Lightning retorted.

"True as that is, and yes I know they're tracking us, but you forget. I can bend the light around an area to keep us hidden."

"Wait, you can do that?" Sazh asked.

"How do you think I hid my armor and weapons while getting on the Purge Train?"

"Your Shadow." he replied.

"Well, you're wrong." he looked back at Lightning. "Give them a small rest. They don't have our stamina. For me, that's a given. For you, you're a soldier. They're civilians, even though Vanille is Pulsian, she _still_ doesn't have the Stamina you do. Rest up for an hour. Any ship that Phoenix didn't take out, I did as we went down. When on the run, get any rest you can. Because you don't know when you'll get another one. All the same, you keep your guard up. I traveled solo for nearly 10 years and then again a year later for 15 years. I should know this better than anyone."

Lightning stared at him. "Fine. But only because you can keep us hidden."

Jared then picked up the Pantherons and then started a fire, before hiding the camp, and cooking the beasts. As he did that, the group was mostly asleep, aside from Lightning and Vanille. Jared just minded his own business.

Then Lightning asked a question. "You're hiding us from sight, right?"

"Yeah." He didn't take his eyes off of the food.

"What about Radar?"

"Taken care of."

"Same barrier?"

"Nope." He took out a small device. "Radar and Radio Jammer. Any normal communication device cannot be used to spot us. If they can sense energy naturally, _then_ they could find us. Using Heat vision, nothing. Infrared, no good. X-ray, nothing. A device that detects energy? That won't pick us up, or the barrier. Basically, unless your Energy Emitting Senses are high enough, you won't find us."

It took 45 minutes to cook the Pantherons perfectly. "Food's ready. Wake the kids?" Jared asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Lightning.

"Practicing for marriage?"

"If I find someone that'll last long enough with the Insanity and my life." Jared replied. "But what are the odds of that?"

Lightning shook her head, before waking the others up, as he spiced it up a bit. "I don't know your taste buds, but it's all we've got for now." He said, as they all woke up. He handed on of them, and split it in half between Vanille and Hope. Sazh got one, but didn't finish it. Lightning got one, and got halfway.

Once the rest were finished, they found that Jared was eating any leftovers with no problem. After he was done, he let out a burp.

Lightning cleared her throat. He looked at her raised eyebrow. "Sorry, I'm used to traveling alone. I tend to forget manners in the wild." Jared actually looked a little sheepish.

"Use them around the kids regardless." She told him.

He hung his head, and sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Boy, she got you whipPED." he jumped at the end, to avoid a Blue Bolt Jared fired at him. "What the heck?!"

"I. am. NOT. Whipped." Jared retorted. "By anyone here." He continued, causing Lightning to raise an eyebrow.

"Come again?"

"You really going to try and kill me when I have more information on you than _you_ do?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Saw that coming."

She then got up, and started to walk off. "If you're coming with me, then come on."

Jared got up and followed her out. Hope just looked at the others, before getting up and following them without a word.

Sazh just looked at Vanille. "Guess it's just you and me."

Jared, Lightning and Hope went further on, and over a giant cog... which was too fat, in Jared's opinion.

The three continued on, through a valley, when they saw some more Ci'eth, though not many. The Pulsework Soldiers were much more of a pain than anything else though. Magic was used on them, mostly, and Jared finally managed to use Shell.

Hope was, in Jared's opinion, a better Mage than the game put out. He took to spells, healing, support, or attack, with utmost ease. He was learning the Synergist Class faster than Jared did.

They reached a pit with a machine, and a large wall.

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!

Alright, major Cliffhanger, But don't worry. I'll work on the net chapter quickly.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	5. Chapter 5

**PLEASE READ THIS NOTE!**

Before we begin, there is some important Information I should share. The stats mentioned in this chapter are outlined here.

ATK (Physical Attack) how much damage is dealt with a move that uses Direct Contact. Increased by Brave and Bravera

MATK (Magical Attack) how much damage Spells deal. Increased by Faith and Faithra

DEF (Physical Defense) How hard a hit you can take. Increased by Protect and Protectra.

MDEF (Magical Defense) Defense against spells. Increased by Shell and Shellra.

Speed - Does use a different scale than the rest. Lightning has her Speed stat at 65, while Hope's Speed is 32. Weight and limitations not being factored in.

Mental Energy - Deals with Mental Functions. The higher it is, the faster and clearer one can think. It really has nothing to deal with knowledge, but generally, the higher this stat is, the higher your IQ.

Spiritual Energy - Deals with your Soul, and most emotions. The higher this stat is, the more in control you are, and the more experience you have. If you run out, you're effectively dead. There are no limiters on it, either.

Physical Energy - Commonly Called Stamina, and is how fit the body is. The higher this stat is, the stronger, faster, and/or flexible you are. Limiters are in place by the mind, keeping the maximum used at 20% for humans. Non-humans are different, and the stat shows what is not blocked by the limiters. If you use anything over 80% you'll tear your muscles apart. If you use 100%, you're dead the moment you stop moving.

Power Level - Taken from DBZ. Actual levels indicate where they truly stand, not what the Scouters would read from them.

**Chapter 5**

In the pit, Jared, Lightning and Hope were looking around. Lightning looked at the nearby wall, Hope just looked at her.

"Can we get through this, you think?" he then continued. "You... Do you know where you're going, right?"

"I've... been here before on missions."

"Extermination?" Jared asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Never explained it."

"Yes... But I'm not explaining it." She replied.

"Embarrassing moments?" She didn't meet his eyes. "Good to know."

Lightning then started to climb. "Sanctum Military is split into two arms. The Public Safety and Intelligence COMmand, known as PSICOM, and the Guardian Corps. I was Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment."

"Wait, if you're not PSICOM, why did you board the train?" Hope asked, now confused.

"For Serah." she then explained what happened the time before the train incident. "I had to save Serah. Before they transported the Vestige to Pulse... And out of my reach. My only chance to save her, was to join the Purge."

"You're telling me you got on that train, so you could save your sister?" Hope asked. "That's crazy. I could never do something like that."

"It's not a matter of Can or Can't. There are something things you just do." She told him.

Before Hope could reply, Jared spoke up. "A better way to put it, Lightning, is the quote I said you would follow, if push comes to shove." Hope looked at him. "Those who break the rules are trash, _however_ those who abandon their family, are worse than trash." he shook his head. "If we're going to be trash either way, I'd at least make sure my family and friends are alive." he looked up. "Even if it meant leaving them behind to protect them."

"That's easy for you to say. You're strong." Hope looked down. "I'm not."

Lightning just started to climb up. "You're only weak, because you think yourself weak. You have no courage. Without that courage, you will _never_ find your namesake." Lightning just then, reached the top, and Jared jumped all the way up in one go.

Hope just looked at him. "What..."

The two just walked off beyond his sight.

It was about 10 minutes that Sazh and Vanille walked up to Hope. The context was more or less expected, Hope not liking his father, Lightning and Jared leaving him to rot, the usual canon BS.

It was when Hope said, "He doesn't care. He never did."

"Any father cares." They all turned to the cliff, and saw Jared.

"I thought you went ahead." Hope said, eyes wide.

"I did."

"Then why are you here?" Sazh asked, forgetting that he was going to say the same thing.

Jared. "I'm not."

Vanille. "Then how come we can see you?"

Jared. "Because I'm not the real me. I'm just construct made of the Shadows, that won't give him my memories when I leave. But as I was saying, Any father cares. I'm a father of two children."

This was a surprise. They _never_ heard him talk about his family. "Wait, if you're a father, then why aren't you with your children?" Sazh asked.

Jared sighed. "Because I can't be."

"And why not?" Vanille asked.

Jared shook his head. "My job has me travel. A lot. I can't bring them along, even if I _know _they can handle it. Every time I had to leave my son, I regretted every second I was away from him, but I pushed on. If I didn't, they could've been killed either way. If I stood still, they'd die. If I hesitated, they'd die. If they came, they'd probably die, and myself along with them." He shook his head. "I spent a total of... about 2 months with my son, before he turned 11. I was on business when he was born, and I regret _that_ too. After business was over, I was able to stick around for a month, and then again for a year. During that year, he gained a sister. Mark and Eris. Eris was 2 months old when I had to leave. If I didn't... I don't like to think about that. Mark will stop aging at 22, I know that much. I did the same. Eris, I don't know, but odds of that happening are high. It's their mother I worried about more. She wasn't ageless. She had 4 years left when I had to leave."

"Wait, you left them behind?"

Jared sent a glare his way. "What did you expect me to do? Take them from one space-time continuum to another, and possibly ripping their bodies to shreds?" His voice held venom in it, which surprised them. "Lightning doesn't know this, and neither does Serah. No normal human can traverse _one_ space-time continuum safely. Even one that can do _that_ can't hold up going from one to another, _unless_ they're a Dimensional Guardian, or a god, and I'm not a god."

Sazh kept quiet. "What about you Sazh? What would you do if you had to leave the entire realm, and your son behind, or they could die through Interdimensional collateral? If you leave, you can make sure they're safe from afar. If you stay, you put them in _more_ danger. Put yourself in my place. What would _you_ do?"

Sazh just hung his head. "I... I'd probably do the same thing..."

"What does this have to do with me?" Hope asked.

Jared sighed. "Take it from your father's point of view. Ignore your own thoughts, and put yourself in his shoes. Would you care for _your_ son, even if it meant having to spend so much time away at a job so your son can be happy and safe?" He questioned with a stony gaze.

"I would..."

"Think on it. Actually think. Put yourself in his position. Ignore all other factors leading to this point." Jared waited for 5 minutes.

That's when Hope spoke up. "I... I would do the same thing." He had a look of realization. "But I'm a L'cie now! He wouldn't care, because I'm..."

"He will care." Jared retorted. "If one of my children became a monster, I'd do my best to turn them away from that path, or at the very least, find a good reason to do bad things. If he really is your father, he won't care if you're a Pulse L'cie. He'll care about you, because you're his son. At this point, you're all he has left."

"I..."

"Like I said. Think about it from his point of view." Jared's body started dissolving. "Only then, will you understand the truth." the head was the last to dissolve.

Sazh just looked at where the Jared Shadow was, sighed, and turned to Hope. "He's right. You may not like it, sure as hell know I don't, but he's right."

He then started to inspect the machine nearby. "This oughta do the trick." He flipped the level, and it activated, pulling out a piece in the wall. He then looked at Hope. "We got time. We'll get you home. Your dad will happy to see you when we do."

Hope didn't look convinced, but he went along with them.

It didn't take long before they were at a ramp, where Lightning dropped in. "Hey, look who joined the party." Sazh commented.

Lightning just turned and started walking, as Jared landed. "Jeez, would it kill her to smile?"

"At this juncture, maybe." Jared said, before following her. "Come on."

A good 10 minutes of walking, and they found something... and it activated. Sazh was surprised. "What is that?"

"Pulse Armament." Lightning answered.

"More specifically, a Dreadnought." Jared added.

"And that's bad for us, isn't it?" Sazh asked.

"You have eyes, don't you?"

"Light, drop the sarcasm. Pick up the fight!" Jared told them, before raising their defenses with Bravery, Faith, Protect, and Shell. Hope beat him with Haste. Vanille decided to use Deshell and Deprotect.

"Vanille, you got Debrave?" Jared asked.

"Yeah."

"Use it."

Jared and Lightning got in close, a lot. A lot of strikes, while Sazh was striking it with the Ravager Class, as was Hope and Vanille. Vanille used Debrave, Deprotect and Deshell every now and then, and healed them, too.

Jared then got another crazy idea, this one from a movie. "Hey Light, you ever hear the story of Jonah Hex?"

"This is hardly the time!" She replied as she backflipped to avoid the claw.

"Actually, I brought that up for a reason." Jared admitted, before charging the Dreadnought, and busting through it's metallic armor.

"Is he ins... You know what? Screw it. Fira!" Sazh let loose a torrent of spells.

Then, out of nowhere, the Dreadnought starting hitting itself with its arms. This caused them all to back off slightly, wondering what the hell was going on. Then, the thing launched a large shell at the ground, blowing it apart, before everyone fell down, including the Dreadnought, and then it started fighting itself again.

"What the hell is going on?" Lightning question.

They all heard a voice in their heads. _"Attack it. I'm inside, and making it go haywire. ATTACK!"_ This, Lightning realized, was Jared. "Do as the voice says!" She then launched Thundara after Thundara, and sometimes went for a Sparkstrike.

"Are you... Nevermind." He sighed, before launching Fira, Fire, and using Flamestrike. Hope helped out by using spells, and buffing their skills. Vanille kept up with Deshell, and Deprotect, but then switched to spells herself, and healing those that got caught in the crossfire.

Finally, Jared came out through the top, as the thing fell down. He then jumped off, and walked up to them, covered in a bit of soot, but otherwise okay. Lightning just slapped him, and he took it. "What were you _thinking_?!" She questioned.

"When I asked you that question, I said it held purpose." he replied, rubbing his cheek. "I took it down from the inside." He then saw the faint trace of tears in her eyes. They hadn't fallen, but they weren't visible to most eyes. "The outer armor is strong, even with Deprotect. What I did, is go through a weak point, and take it down from the inside, where it's weaker. And where the power core is." He held up the thing in his hand. "That's this thing. And I intend to figure it out later." He put it into his Shadow Vault. "But I can see that I worried you."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, before looking at Sazh. "By the way, did you meet up with my Shadow?"

"Yeah."

"He talk to you?"

"Of course." Sazh replied. "Nearly bit our heads off while it was at it, but yeah."

Jared sweatdropped. "Why?"

"Probably the subject that was brought up, which, by the way, I agree with your opinion on." Jared raised an eyebrow. "Fatherhood."

Jared sighed. "That explains it. Long explanation short, I don't talk about that subject for a reason. You saw that firsthand."

"Tell me about it. But either way, I agree with you. Better to leave them in safe hands, then put them in more danger by sticking around." Sazh replied.

"Agreed." Jared said, before looking at Lightning. "Let's go. We should keep moving." They walked, and went through a few more fights, mainly to "Beef up" so to speak.

They decided to rest on a bunch of scrap metal, that reminded Jared a little of a cannon.

Lightning was at a higher point on the wreckage, while Hope and Vanille were down near the ground level. Jared was higher than Lightning, but still in earshot. Sazh walked up to Lightning, and sighed as he sat down next to her. "Not much of a future for us, huh?"

"Hard to picture a happy ending." She replied.

"We don't even know where to go." He added.

"I do." This caused them both to look up at him. "You do?"

"Yeah. Light, Hope and I should head to Palumpolum." He said. "Sazh, I'd say you take Vanille and go to Nautilus."

"Why split up here?" Lightning questioned, as she stood up. Jared simply dropped down, as Hope and Vanille came up to the three. "Think about it. PSICOM is after us. Vanille and Sazh don't want to fight either, while Lightning and I do. Hope, he should see his father. See the truth. From there, I know Light and I will try to make it to Eden."

This caused surprised looks from all but Lightning, who raised an eyebrow. "Aside from seeing Hope's father, I was about to suggest the same thing."

"They want a fight, we'll take it to their door." Jared replied. "Reckless, and needlessly stupid, I know, but right now, that's for the best. Besides, unless I'm mistaken, Palumpolum is the closest town with a viable way to Eden, anyway."

"Wait, you serious?" Sazh asked.

"Completely." Jared replied. "You and Vanille don't want to fight. That's why I suggest Nautilus... that and that's where you get your Eidolon in game."

"Wait... Eidolon?" Sazh asked.

"Yeah. In game, the group split up here. Lightning went towards Palumpolum. Hope followed. You and Vanille decided to go the other way. To Nautilus."

"This isn't a game!" Sazh countered.

"Is it?" Jared raised an eyebrow. "Think about it. Where I come from, this place is nothing more than fiction. A _game_. One I've beaten, at that. Besides, it's best that you don't head with us, if the game is still holding true. It has been so far. Hope being hopeless, you being a coward, Light wanting to ignore the Focus, and carve her own path, everything so far has pointed to that. PSICOM is acting more on the lines of: Kill the L'cie, don't let the populace know they survived. As long as you don't tell them you're a L'cie, hiding the Brand is all you need to do. People won't ask questions. You'll be safer that way. Light and I are willing to fight for what we believe in, Sazh. You aren't. Until you do, you'll never do any good alongside us."

Lightning just looked at him, and nodded. "He's right, Sazh. Hope, you're coming with."

"I was planning on it, anyway." He replied, his voice low.

"Then don't hold back. Come on." Jared said, jumping to ground level. "I'm choosing my life. Not my death. If you think you're doing the latter, then you've already gone out, and you're no use at the moment." Lightning joined him. "If we're enemies next time we meet... I won't hesitate to kill."

Hope looked at him, and then went down to them, and ran after them. Hope _knew_ that Jared would be able to do it. If anyone was going to help him get stronger, it was Jared. Besides, he had to see the truth about his father. Jared said one thing, and he wasn't sure if his own reasoning was right or wrong anymore.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hope shouted, earning Jared and Lightning's attention. "I'm coming with you two."

"You willing to fight for what you believe in?" Jared asked.

"If that's what it takes to find the truth, then so be it." Hope answered.

Jared smiled. "Good answer." He then lost his smile. "Incoming."

Lightning looked and saw it. "Great. A PSICOM hit squad." One of them pushed a button and blew the debris behind them. Jared didn't even bother to look back, knowing what happened by the sound.

"Cutting us off, eh?" Jared replied, drawing Reaper.

Lightning drew Blaze Omega, and Hope took out his boomerang. Hope and Jared started out by casting Haste, and Bravery, while Lightning immediately went on the attack. Jared followed up with Faith on Hope.

Hope then started to fire spell after spell. Jared launched a Ruinga near the middle of them, as they shot a few rounds each. The guys were getting slightly easier, but the Corps Gunners went down much faster than the PSICOM tracker. Although, the final blow, since he was able to avoid most of the spells,was actually a Mortal Danger, from Jared.

Lightning looked at Hope. "Not bad, I guess."

"He's one of us." Jared looked at Hope. "You do realize that this will be fight after fight, with no way to know how it will truly end, right? Even I am not all knowing."

Hope nodded, panting a bit. "Then let's move on. Light?"

She nodded, and the three continued on. Oddly enough, there were no fights for a bit, until they found something, and heard to PSICOM Trackers talking. "Any sign of the L'cie?"

"Nothing. No sign its been activated."

The first one then saw something. "Huh? Who's there?!"

The three came out, but Jared shot one through the throat, which somehow pierced the armor and went out the other end. "Told you I could do it." He said, before pointing Cerberus at the other.

"You guys want the other one?"

"Why not?" Lightning replied.

Hope and Lightning went for it, Hope with spells, and Lightning with Blaze Omega as a sword. The guy went down fast. Jared and Hope walked up to the downed Dreadnought. "Think this thing will work?" Hope asked.

"One way to find out." Jared replied.

Hope and Jared started checking it out.

"You're letting your curiosity get to you. Don't." Lightning pointed out.

"I have a healthy interest in knowledge, Light. You saw that firsthand back in Bodhum." The Dreadnought got up, and Hope started to move it, before it started to listen. "Hey guys! I think I can pilot this thing!"

"Then use its strength to knock this thing down." he pointed at the raised bridge. "Couldn't you do that?"

"If I did, I'd break it." Jared retorted. "That thing might not."

"Uh... Okay." The arm swung, and the bridge fell. Jared smiled. "What say we let that thing handle the enemies for now?"

"Fine by me."

The two just followed as Hope brought the Dreadnought out and sent the Pulse Machina flying with a single hit, or simply running them over. Jared, overall, was impressed at the machinery. "I hope he doesn't wreck it." He mused.

"Do I even want to know why?"

"Just look." Jared told the soldier. "That thing is powerful in its own right. I want to see what makes it tick." He had a slight gleam in his eyes.

Lightning shook her head. "I should've expected that."

At the end of the road, the Dreadnought fell, with Hope still on it. Jared and Lightning jumped down and landed next to him. "Not bad."

"Y-you think?" He asked, panting after the fall.

"Yeah, it wasn't bad." Lightning agreed. "But it wasn't good."

"Light..."

"What?"

"Hope, considering the fact that you have had no previous fighting experience before the L'cie business, I'd say that was excellent. But in the eyes of a soldier, it was weak. As for me, I'm a Knight. Not a Soldier. I can tell the difference between a full blown civilian and skilled fighters. Before all this, you were a full blown civilian. Now, you are in between. Let's move on."

Hope had gotten his breather, and it really just took an explanation. From there they moved, but the bridge nearby something expected happened. Jared knew it was coming, as it was the time for Lightning's Eidolon. She started to rant, which Jared promptly ignored. And she noticed. "See?! You're not even listening to me!"

"Because I don't need to hear your rants to know how stressed you are, nor do I need to be a genius to know what's going to happen now." Jared replied, his voice completely calm. It was at that moment, a glyph appeared at Lightning's feet, which expanded, before she jumped out of the Glyph, before something was brought out.

"Odin..." Jared breathed. "You know, you're a lot more handsome than the game made you out to be. Then again, it's probably due to lazy graphics design." He drew Reaper. "Hope, ready for battle. This guy's gonna fight. And if Light dies, its the end for her."

"What about a Phoenix Down?" Hope asked. "Surely you have one of those."

"No, I don't." Jared replied, before his eyes widened. "but I do have something similar. Not sure it would work with doom, though."

It was then, that Lightning was hit with Doom. She felt her life ticking away. She decided to use Libra on it, first. Jared sent Protect and Barthunder at Lightning, and adding Barthunder to himself and Hope, while Hope sent Haste to all three.

Jared sent out a massive flurry of strikes which did little damage. _'Lightsworns were easier than this guy.'_ Jared thought. "Shadow Cannon!" He swung Reaper down, releasing the beam, which hit the Eidolon, but didn't do much.

Lightning sent out spell after spell, Jared, knowing the Eidolon I immune to provoking, Just got in the way of the attacks, using Steelguard. As the attacks finished, he stopped it, and went on the attack with Ruin, and striking with Reaper. It took 6 minutes of this, Lightning casting spells and attacking, Hope healing, attacking, and buffing, Jared buffing, attacking and guarding, that Odin stabbed his sword into the ground, and then shifted.

Odin had just gone Gestalt, and Lightning had gotten on, Odin's blade in her hands.

Odin quickly left, and took his blade with him. She looked at Jared. "I..."

"Don't worry about it." Jared replied. "You needed to get it off your chest. Besides, I knew it was coming soon, anyway."

"Wait, you _knew_ it was coming?" Hope asked, eyes wide.

He tapped his temple. "I'm a wealth of knowledge, remember? I immediately recognized Odin. It's the same Eidolon you had in game."

"Was there _any_ difference?"

"Not really, no." Jared shrugged. "Although, just being around I could tell it would've happened soon. If it didn't, I would've given you about an hour longer before it happened. It happened, because you were so stressed out. Not because I willed it, nor did the Fal'cie."

"What makes you think that's the case?" Hope asked.

"Well... that's actually only a theory I had. Mine was gained in a different way, but Jain knows why the difference is there. My Eidolon, the Lightsworns, are tailored more to me, just as Odin is more your speed. I don't know exactly what chooses the Eidolon, but I think it's the truth of your soul. Could be something else, but I couldn't tell you."

"You can't, or won't?" Lightning questioned.

"Can't. I don't know the true reason they appear for normal L'cie. Either it was never explained period, the truth was omitted, or it was and I just didn't see it. Either way, I didn't find anything on the subject. The only thing that is a constant from what I _do_ know, is that a high amount of emotions tend to trigger the initial summoning. Things like, Regret, fear, determination, stuff like that. Extreme happiness won't, at least I don't think it will. High amounts of stress, high amounts of emotion, these things can cause it to appear, but it has to be genuine. Someone like you, who suppresses their emotions for the sake of a select few, would be one of the first to get that far. Snow already has his. He's too stubborn for his own good, and I got the info _before_ we left those ruins back there."

"That was the last call from Fang, wasn't it?" Hope asked.

"The one before the flight." Jared corrected.

Lightning raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "So you know he's safe?" A nod was his response. "And Serah?"

"Safe and intact." Jared replied, as he started walking. "I think we should get moving. No telling when PSICOM will catch up with us."

Hope looked at the two, and followed Jared, while Lightning was the next one. As they continued, Jared put Haste on Hope right at the beginning of each battle, which helped him gain experience with his spells, which was Jared's plan the whole time.

After a bit, they decided to stop for a bit. At this point, Jared asked a question. "Light, what do you know about the Wide Area Response Brigade?"

"They're mostly an unknown branch of the Military. I'm surprised you've heard of them." She then looked at him, and continued. "At least, that's what I _would_ say, if it weren't for the fact you know more than you let on. Why do you ask?"

"Cid Raines ring any bells?"

"Their leader." She replied.

"Good. Fang and Snow are with him."

"You sure?"

"That's what Fang said last time. At least, that's what she said to me." Jared admitted.

"I see." Lightning said. "I'll look around."

"No need. Nothing human within 2000 yards of this spot, aside from us. Closest organic being is a Thexteron, and that's 500 yards out." Jared replied, sitting down. "I can shut down Technology, even while I'm asleep, so there's no worry about that."

"It shouldn't be possible for you to sense someone inside technology."

"Honestly, Light, just because something "Shouldn't be possible" doesn't mean it's "Impossible". It just means that it's harder to do, usually. Honestly, the tech makes it easier to find them, because the energy used by the tech overlays another set of energies. When that happens here, that's PSICOM. Hmm... Tech is actually an energy source, separate from the human body." At this point, Hope had fallen asleep. He was more tired than he let on. "The human body, as I told you, has 3 types of energy: Mental, Physical, and Spiritual. Electrical Energy tends to tie into Mental Energy, but they're different at the core."

"How do they tie into each other?"

"You know how the Nervous system uses Electron Impulses to communicate?" Jared asked, earning a nod. "That's how. Electrical Energy uses Electron Impulses to power the tech. Geothermal Energy uses heat from the ground, and below the ground. It holds some basis with Physical Energy, but not much."

"Is there anything similar to Spiritual Energy?"

"Natural Energy, which a L'cie uses to power _their_ spells." Jared replied. "From what I gather using the spells of a L'cie, the Brand draws in Natural Energy, ties it with my Spiritual Energy, makes the spell, and I cast it."

Lightning sat down and moved Hope's head to her lap. "What is the basis for each Energy? The Main three, I mean."

"Well, Mental Energy is tied to how fast and clear you can think. Your Spiritual Energy is tied to your soul. You run out, you're dead. Plain and simple. The way to increase it is through experience. It's why Hope can't use the Level 2 Spells in any element, _except_ healing. He doesn't have the required Spiritual Energy to use them."

"I see, go on."

"Physical Energy is actually a lot more different than you would probably think. Our bodies limit themselves through the Physical Energy for a reason. Physical Energy resides in every cell in the body, and is increased through exercise. If there was a scale, I'd put your Physical Energy to about 120 units. Your Spiritual Energy is more like 700 units on the scale. Your mental Energy is actually about 450, which would coincide with an IQ of about 145. Give or take a few points."

Lightning nodded. "On this scale, where is Hope?"

"At this point, Hope's Mental Energy is the highest at 320. Spiritual Energy is actually at 190. Physical Energy is even lower at about 168." Jared explained.

"And you?"

"Well, when I finally accept the fact that I was a Guardian, my Mental Energy went from 522 to almost 1,000, which surprised me. I guess being at peace with yourself, for the most part, increases it a _lot_. Spiritual Energy, Hmm..." He closed his eyes, and turned his senses inward, before opening his eyes. "Currently, my Spiritual Energy is pushing 5,000. It's been increasing a lot since I got Jain and the others. My physical Energy... when we faced off with Anima, it was at 38,009. If I had to use Power Levels combining all three, my power level would be pushing 6,000. Your Power level would be pushing 700, and Hope's would be pushing 200 right now. The average Martial Artist, at best, would range about 80 to 130."

"Hmm... Where would you say Amodar is?"

"Honestly? I didn't get a good enough reading on him for his Spiritual Energy, so I couldn't give you an accurate guess. Although, with what I _do_ know, I'd put him about 110. His Spiritual Energy could make a drastic change, though. It depends on how high or low it is."

"If only there was a way to let him know I was alright, and if _he's_ okay."

Jared smirked. "I can do that, you know?"

She looked at him. "Telepathy?"

"Yup." Jared replied. "Give me a minute. No other humans still."

"_Hey, Lieutenant Amodar, you there?"_ Jared mentally asked.

"_Alright, what gives? You haven't said anything for 2 days, since the Purge."_

"_Sorry. Been busy with PSICOM and random beasts."_

"_Forget about that. Where's Lightning? And is she okay?"_

"_She is. She's actually worried about _you_."_

"_Huh? Why?"_

"_Probably wondering if you're worried sick or something."_

"_I am, but for Serah as well."_

"_Serah's safe. She's crystallized herself, and is currently in the hands of Cid Raines, from what a friend of mine tells me. Snow Villiers is there as well."_

"_I resigned, Jared. Just yesterday, I put in the resignation. Until the whole Pulse L'cie mess is over with, it will stay that way. Besides, without the people of Bodhum to protect, there's nothing left for us to do."_

"_I see."_

"_Why aren't you saying 'I told you so.'? You have the right to, you know?"_ Amodar questioned.

"_Because I don't want to, nor do I need to."_

"_Well, thanks for not rubbing it in."_

"_Don't mention it."_

"_Well, since I'm no longer part of the Military, though I still have all the equipment I used in the service, is there anything you could let me know, even if it's just to know something they don't?"_

"_Yeah. Barthandelus and Orphan really _are_ trying to destroy Cocoon, and Dysley isn't manipulating either. He happens to be Barthandelus. You got a Datalog that can receive long range transmissions?"_

"_Yeah, it's right here. Why?"_

Jared took out his own, and started to push a few buttons. _"I'm going to send you ALL the information I have on the situation, which would've been the case, had I not been here. The file is marked Fox-Fox-Xray-1-3. Make sure you're alone when you see it, or if NORA is there, aside from Snow, let them see it as well. It'll help them out quite a bit in the Morale Department. And I just sent it."_

"_Yeah, I got it. I'll take this to Lebreau's bar, and wait for them, if they come in three days. If not, I'll watch the logs myself."_

"_Okay. So you know, it starts at the Purge, and ends at the end of the Journey we're on now. All of this doesn't include me, or what my interference would do to the time line. Basically, picture the videos as what's going on now, if I wasn't here. I think we're in Chapter 5, at the moment. If not, Chapter 4. Probably a bit between the two."_

"_Good to know. Is it possible for me to start talking?"_

"_It is. Just focus on me, and think what you want to say. Make sure you're alone first, though."_ Jared told him.

"_Thanks. And let Lightning know I'm backing her. If the GC sees her, and they have orders to attack, they'll miss on purpose. Especially if they're from Bodhum. She's the most respected soldier in my regiment. This is testament to that."_

"_Talk to you later, Amodar."_

"_Stay frosty, Shadow."_ he felt Amodar's presence leave his mind. "Light, he's fine." She sighed in relief. Jared then continued, to explain what had been said.

"Good to know. They'll pull the trigger, but won't hit us on purpose." Lightning said, also calmer.

"So, we gonna tell Hope the path when he wakes up?"

"You haven't been here for a month, and you know the path we're taking?" He held up the Datalog in response. "Oh yeah. Why do I keep forgetting about that?"

"No idea, but that's not my problem." Jared replied. "Anyway, the path would take us through the Gapra Whitewood, the territory of the Woodlands Observation Battalion. From there, we reach Palumpolum."

"What do you think we should expect in Palumpolum."

"PSICOM. Lot's of PSICOM. Probably a few divisions of the GC as well." Jared told her, before looking at Hope. "You know, if his father were in Bodhum I doubt he'd have anyone left."

"What makes you say that?"

"Something tells me he wouldn't go quietly." Jared then sat down next to Hope, and closed his eyes, before entering a meditative stance. "Anyway, I'll keep a lookout. After traveling so long on my own, I've figured out how to get the rest I need, and still have my guard up. In a place filled with Dragons that can kill you, I've survived for a month. Monsters of various shapes, sizes, and species in a desert? Been there. Snowing mountains in a Blizzard, with Yetis, Wolves, Skeletons, ghosts, and a 18 foot tall Fox? Done that. Didn't like it, but I did it. Inside a volcano with wildlife that's either on fire, made of fire, made of Lava, and even Piranhas that come out of the _lava_ and float over the ground to attack... Honestly, I liked that one better than any of the others. I also got along with the Piranhas. Probably because I could swim in the lava as good as they could."

"Is there anywhere you _haven't_ been on your own?" She asked, seeing his face raise an eyebrow.

"Hmm... don't think so. Unless you count Outer Space as a Location that is even _remotely_ survivable."

"Don't tell me 20,000 feet underwater didn't crush you with the sheer pressure." She, admittedly, was worried. It wasn't because he could've forgotten about that particular point. No, she was worried because she thought he _had_ counted it as one, and he _had_ _done it._

He opened his left eye, and looked at her, as she sat down. "Light, I _have_ been there. I _have _done that. And honestly? Traveling at speeds over 650 Miles per Hour brings more pressure to the body than 25,000 feet underwater. This armor was on at the time, too. Sad, isn't it?"

Light shook her head. "Honestly? I doubt anything you could say you've done would be wrong, at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if you could get us through this while getting us even better than before."

Jared just closed the eye. "Get some rest, Light. You'll need it when we go for the Gapra Whitewood. There's a quadruped plant beast there. If they release it, we'll have a tough time on our hands. I don't have Ravager, which admittedly is a boon for that one, but it should have an ability that makes it a bitch to take out."

"Such as?"

"It can change its elements. There is no visible indication of the element, that I know of either. I'm going off of the game here, but at least in game there's a way to pause the battle to figure out the stats of an enemy."

"In other words, non-element attacks and spells are a lot better to use, like Ruin?"

Jared nodded in response. "If I see it, I'll let you know. If I say the Aster Protoflorian is in front of us, that's the one I'm telling you about right now."

"I'll keep that in mind." She replied, as she actually took the time to rest.

A Thexteron came up to them about an hour later, but was shredded to bits before it could even get close enough to attack. If Jared had been awake, he would've smirked at what he did.

-2 days later-

Jared had managed to keep the group hidden from PSICOM's Radar, but Monsters and other beings were a lot harder to avoid.

Although, when they woke up in the morning, there was always at least 3 mutilated bodies, causing Hope and Lightning to look at Jared, who shrugged in response. "It happens." Was all he said, and they left it at that. They felt it better that way.

By the end of the first day since leaving the Vile Peaks, Hope finally realized something. Jared was Insane. Not the I'm-gonna-kill-everyone-because-I-can Insane. More like You-mess-with-me-and-you'll-wish-you-were-dead Insane.

He wasn't sure if one was better than the other, but he knew Jared _wouldn't_ strike him unless Hope tried to harm him in any way, shape or form. If Jared was annoyed, he took it out on something. If it was Hope's lack of confidence, Hope was slapped. If it were anything else, whether Hope was the cause or not, a random monster was blown to bits by a Ruinga, or imploded.

Both Lightning and Hope realized something after the third one: Don't piss off Jared. He blows damn near _anything_ up. The fact that he was angry and an Alpha Behemoth showed up, said Behemoth acted like it had swallowed a bomb and was vaporized from the inside out.

"Sometimes, I wonder if you have any sense of sanity left in you." Lightning pointed out, as there were reaching what was known as the Gapra Whitewood.

Jared raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"What you do to these things are just plain crazy. Then I remember what you _could_ do. At the very least, I figure its better _not_ to question your sanity. I'll save my own in the process." She told him, as Hope was listening.

"You _are_ Insane, but... How do you make such good points?" He asked.

Jared just looked ahead. "Because I've accepted my own Insanity. To those that don't know me, and see me for the first time, they think I'm calm. It's when I get into a thinking position, or when I'm fighting that my lack of Sanity shows. The plans I make _are_ insane, but they work. I've learned from experience that it works. I can think Logically, even through my own Insanity. They don't clash within my mind anymore, mainly because I know they're both important. Logic is needed, so I keep that. Insanity is needed, and preferred, so I keep that. But... I can never stop thinking about things I've left behind."

"Why did you accept the Insanity?" Hope asked. "I mean, isn't that bad?"

"Saying Insanity is bad is like the Sanctum saying _all_ L'cie are a threat. Wars are started through those that can't handle their own insanity. Those that Harness the Insanity, are those that can become even more powerful than gods. One such group of warriors happen to be the Dragoons of Endiness."

"Wait, aren't _you_ a Dragoon?" Lightning asked.

"At the moment, that ability is locked. If I unlock it here, I'll show you. Hopefully the time I _don't_ use it doesn't affect the training I put into using it."

"What's a Dragoon?" Hope asked.

"A Dragoon is... well, picture a human that has their soul fused with a Dragon. The fusion itself causes Insanity, but the Insanity is already there. The Dragoon Spirits, at the moment I know of 10, are actually tools to amplify the Insanity of a person. If they can't handle it, they'll go mad with their power. However, if you manage to control the Insanity, you'll be yourself, no matter what. As for me, I accepted the fact I was Insane _long_ before I became a Dragoon. It just gave me a way to channel it _properly_. Being a Dimensional Guardian happens to be more of a blessing for me, mainly because I figured out _why_ I was so different. Why I never knew my real father. Why I couldn't fit in with my own blood family. Sometimes, I wonder why I left."

"You put it off, don't you?" Lightning questioned.

"Not really. It just... What reminds me of why I don't go back, why I don't talk to them anymore, why I left in the first place... Is because of something I've been told by my Patron: Soa. Apparently, a major threat is coming to my blood family. Whether I'm close to them or not, they're still family. I'd protect them like I'd protect my own children. Sometimes... I question my own reasons. I don't like what I did and still do to protect my family, but I do it anyway. I do what I must, to save what I can."

"That's why you said my father would be happy to see me? Because you know you would be for your own son?"

Jared ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah... It's a father thing. Our job is to protect and raise our children in the best way we can. We don't like what we have to do sometimes, but we do it anyway because it has to be done. It's why I left my children in capable hands. It's why I left my family. A father cares, often times more than they let on. It's just... a natural instinct, I guess. When you become a father, you'll know exactly what I mean, because you'll be doing the same thing."

"What makes you think I'll be one?" He asked.

"Because, Hope, L'cie or not, there _will_ be someone to see you for you, and not what you have, what you are, or what you can do. The last one to see me that way is dead, but look at Snow. He _knew_ Serah was a L'cie. Yet he still proposed. L'cie or not, Snow loved Serah. Just like your mother loved you. A parent's love is unavoidable. It's unconditional. Fathers tend to fight for their family's safety. If they don't, then they aren't worth being called a father."

Hope sighed. "I hope mine is that way."

"That's all you can do. In his place, I told you what he _should_ do. If he doesn't, I'd take him out myself because he wouldn't be deserving of the title 'Father'. It all depends on what I see when I get there. If I don't like what I see, his fate depends on you."

"Why me?" Hope was obviously confused.

"You'll know if it happens." Jared hid his smirk.

Hope, for some reason, figured that Jared had something planned for Hope. Something that he wouldn't like in the slightest, but would appreciate when he figured out _why_.

As they were entering on one of the higher levels of the Gapra Whitewood, Lightning came up with a brilliant, yet somewhat crazy, idea. "I think we should let Hope lead for now."

Jared raised an eyebrow, while Hope's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" the silver haired teen asked.

She simply nodded in response. "You need the battle experience, and honestly? I think leading will do some good for your confidence."

Hope didn't like it, but then he looked at Jared, who actually seemed thoughtful. "You don't want to lead, and you fear letting _him_ lead, don't you?" Hope asked in a deadpanned voice.

She hid her smirk, though Jared could smell it. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm doing it to toughen you up. Maybe I'm doing it because I want to see your true self."

"Or maybe you're just doing it because you somehow read my mind and found out that you suggested the same thing in game." Jared added. They both looked at him, before Hope looked at Lightning who blinked a few times.

"Honestly, I should've seen that comment coming." Lightning stated. "It's a surprise as to how I didn't. You think he can handle it?"

Jared shrugged. "It's possible."

She raised her eyebrow. "You're not sure on something?"

Jared just looked her in the eye. "In game, he's less powerful, driven by revenge against Snow, and only came with you to get tougher. _Then_ he found out you were going to Palumpolum, and told you he knew every shortcut there."

She looked at him, and he nodded. "He's right, I do. What's more is, the Adults don't even try to think of them, mainly because they see no use in it. The kids always explore them. I could get us nearly _anywhere_ using the Sewer Tunnels alone. Depending on where we enter, the path would still lead near a Sanctum Fal'cie. Don't know its name though."

Jared made a picture in his hand, and showed it to Hope. "This one?" Hope nodded in response. "Carbuncle... Here, she gives food, and provides fertile lands for growing things." Again, Hope nodded, not surprised at all by his wealth of knowledge.

"So..." Light looked at Jared, who nodded at the previously asked question. They both looked at Hope. "You're leading for now." was the simultaneous comment.

"Uh... Okay." Hope took out his Boomerang, not liking it, but thanking them both. He led them through slightly, before a group of leeches appeared. There were four of them, and Hope immediately used Libra on one of them, seeing as they were all the same. "Frag Leeches. Nothing special about them aside from Fire attacks." Hope said, he looked at the others, who had drawn their weapons. Lightning used Thundara taking out two of the four, Jared used Ruin taking out the third, and Hope finished the last one off with Watera.

Jared looked at Hope. "Looks like you can finally use the Tier 2 Spells."

"How many tiers are there?" Hope asked.

"Depends on the branch and element. Most have 3, some have 4, others, like Ruin, only have 2. there is no middle ground between Ruin and Ruinga."

He then saw another one coming up and, on instinct, he raised up a hand and used a Spell he shouldn't have access to. "Dark." The thing was pierced with a Pitch black beam, before Jared blinked, his eyes back to normal from the slightly possessed look they had.

"Dark?" Hope asked, surprised.

"Huh... guess I unlocked Ravager manually. I still can't feel Saboteur or Medic." he closed his eyes, and then found himself elsewhere.

There was a Crystal that resembled his Eidolon Crystal, with Jain right next to him. He knew this as his Crystarium. "Jain? What the hell happened?"

"**You got another branch that is already unlocked as far as the other three. Two of those three are mastered."** She pointed to a Red path. **"That one, from what I figured out from your memories, is Commando. It's mastered."** She pointed to the Yellow one next. **"Sentinel, I assume, is mastered as well."**

She pointed to the Light Blue one. **"From what I can tell, that's Synergist. It's not mastered, but it's pretty damn close. Now that one,"** Jain shifted her gaze and finger to the fourth ring. **"That one seems to have massive amounts of Magical Energy flowing through it. It gives me the impression of Damaging spells with no support added. It was only recently acquired, and there is very little active there. From what you know, this one would correspond to Ravager."**

Jared looked at the Crystal behind him. He saw a number on it. He knew this to be the amount of Crystogen Points he had built up. "Jain, how far is Ravager unlocked?"

"**To the end, I believe. Similar to the other 3 paths."**

Jared looked out. "Ravager is probably going to be harder to go through. Now that I think about it, why was the first one for me to use Dark? Shouldn't that be _against_ you guys as Lightsworns?"

"**I believe it to be because, though your personality is more like us, you are a Shadowwind. Look down the line through Ravager. Perhaps you can see what you will learn down the line, and when."**

Jared stared down the Ravager Line, and saw the order they went in. First up, which wasn't a surprise, was Dark. Next was Aero, again no surprise. A few boosts to Magic Attack and magic Defense, which wouldn't really do much, considering he's _already_ a powerful magician, along with his abilities in Psynergy. He then decided to push all the CP he had into the Ravager Path, which managed to make him a level 2 Ravager. Through this, he had learned Aero, Thunder, Weasel Strike, which he had to raise an eyebrow at, Sparkstrike, and Dark Strike. His Magic attack and Magic Defense also skyrocketed, as the boosts were far more powerful than they should have been that far in. Looking at the Crystal in the center, the CP count was now at 0, and there was his stats on there as well. His Magic stats were 890 Attack and 1080 Defense before, but now his Magic Attack was 1420 and Magic Defense was 1890. While he did this, he checked his Physical Stats and he actually whistled.

His Physical Attack Stat was _extremely_ high, just pushing 7000. His Physical Defense Stat, however, was much lower, reaching 5000. Most of those boosts were from the Sentinel Path, so he wasn't surprised it was that low. However, he also saw a Speed stat, which wasn't in game. His speed was naturally 300, which was confusing. If the other stats were as high as they were, he figured his Speed should be higher than his Physical Attack, since he's actually _faster_ than he is strong. Happens when he uses Reaper so much, along with his top speed being as high as it was.

"**I was confused about the speed stat myself."** Jain admitted. **"I mean, you really _are_ faster than you are strong due to continued usage of Reaper, but still..."**

"I'm starting to think that Speed goes off of a different Scale than the rest." Jared told her.

Jain thought about it, and nodded. **"That's the most likely reason."**

Jared nodded. "Alright, I should get back to them. Good luck, and if I need you, I'll call." Jain nodded and response, and found himself standing in the same spot, while his companions were looking at him. Hope was confused at the detached look, which just disappeared, while Lightning nodded.

"Figured out what happened?" She asked.

"Yeah... I was right. I unlocked the Ravager Class on my own."

She then raised her eyebrow. "You found yourself in a Void with a Crystal and 3, now 4, paths using the Crystal as a Focal point, didn't you?"

Jared nodded. "That's the Crystarium. I go there every time I meditate, or sleep."

"It happens when I'm asleep as well." Lightning replied. "Also, I saw Odin in mine after I got him."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Really? I saw Jain in mine. Believe it or not, I got pretty far, but I won't be able to do much with Synergist for a while. So, I'll focus on Ravager for now, but if we see a spider, I'm sticking to Sentinel. I am _not_ going to attack a Spider, when I _know_ that they'll try to kill me no matter what."

"The great Guardian is afraid of spiders?"

"Not afraid. Just pissed at the bastards. A traveling companion was killed by a 13 foot tall spider as it was going after me. I was never really scared of it, but the damn bastards never leave me alone. I don't even _have _to taunt them. They'll go after me and ignore both of you, anyway. Meaning, while I take their attacks, you two strike with deadly force as if it was a _Fal'cie_."

"Isn't that pushing it?" Hope asked.

"I blame my grandmother on my father's side for the whole Spider Business." Jared replied.

"What could she have done?"

"Cursed a weaver to be the mother of all Spider Monsters in her world." Jared replied, as if he were talking about the weather. "Seriously, Spiders, monstrous or not, seek me out if they're in a 2 mile radius of me. They try to strike me. I've held a Scorpion in my hand. One that hadn't had its Poison nullified. I liked the scorpion. Scorpion liked me. One Scorpion was near me as a Spider attacked, and then the two fought it out. I thanked the Scorpion, telling it that Spiders are a pain in ass to me, and want to kill me for familial relations. Scorpion followed me to the edge of its territory, and that's the end of it."

"So, it's just spiders... Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised." Lightning admitted, before looking at Hope. "So, Leader, what's next?"

Hope just looked ahead, before back at them. "I think Light should take the front. If something comes, she'd see it quickly, and be able to handle it. Plus, she knows more about this place than I do. Jared would take the back side, being able to sense things as far away as he can, he'd know if anything was coming from any direction, and would probably be able to handle it as well. I stay in the middle, since I'm no good at Close Combat, but Spells are where I shine, so I'd be able to use Synergist abilities to help you both, fire spells in any direction if you guys need help with Ravager, and heal any wounds you get with Medic." He then looked at Jared. "You think that would work?"

He smiled at Hope, which looked a little off to the teen. This one was not malicious, held no mischief, no sense of any impending doom, or an insult. It was... calm, and happy. Lightning immediately knew that smile. He only used it in his "Parental Mode" in her mind. "Hope, that is a very good plan. In all honesty, I was not thinking you'd be _that_ good with it."

Hope blinked, but nodded. "Alright. Then lets do this." Jared went back to his Normal state of mind, which was mostly relaxed to those who didn't know him. But Lightning knew otherwise. He was on guard, he just didn't look like it. If she didn't notice the way his left hand stuck closer to Cerberus, she wouldn't have said he was on guard.

In fact, the left hand was the only indication he was even remotely on guard. His eyes looked like they were lazing around, his posture was completely relaxed to the untrained eye, and hi stance didn't change at all. What's more is, none of his posture gave any hint to his true strength. He showed he could take you out, no matter what your skill level is, without giving his true skill to any watching.

A Pair of Frag Leeches and a Thexteron were coming up to them, which Lightning took care of the Thexteron, while Hope managed to use Thundara to take out the other two.

Two more Thexterons came up, and managed to try to flank them, but Jared sent a Ruin in the direction of one, while sending Thunder at the other.

Hope finished that one off, as Jared was not used to using Thunder, and he used Thunder himself, thus killing it. Ruin killed the one it hit by blowing the head off.

They found an elevator area, and used it to go down.

00000x00000

I believe I should say this now.

Jared's L'cie abilities are far more ahead than the others, mainly because he's so far ahead of them to begin with. His stats are also higher due to the experience and abilities being slightly enhanced when he was branded.

Abilities as a Commando: Attack, Ruin, Blitz, Ruinga, Launch, Lifesiphon, Faultsiphon, Ravager, Smite (used with Reaper only), Blindside, Scourge (used with Cerberus only), Jeopardize, Deathblow, Adrenaline

Abilities as a Sentinel: Evade (chance is actually 90% due to Speed Stat), Counter (only if he feels like it), Deathward (instead of increasing the stats, automatically casts Shell and Protect on user), Reprieve (avoids a One hit KO move. Does not include Doom), Provoke (random taunt, which I may or may not make a quote for), Challenge (Not as effective as Provoke, unlike the others where it is more effective), Elude (Same as Canon), Vendetta (Damage dealt to user is multiplied by 3 and dealt to target), Mediguard, Steelguard, Entrench (Damage is multiplied by 5 and dealt to target), Multi-Shield (Will explain below)

Abilities as a Synergist: Haste, Hastega, Bravery, Faith, Vigilance, Protect, Enthunder, Enwater, Barthunder, Barfire, Shell, Enfire, Barwater, Enfrost, Barfrost, Veil, Boon.

Yet to learn as Synergist: Endark, Enlight

Abilities as a Ravager: Dark, Aero, Thunder, Weasel Strike, Sparkstrike, Darkstrike, Fearsiphon

Commando barely increased his Magical Ability, while making his Physical stats skyrocket. Sentinel made his Physical Defense go up quite a bit as well. Synergist made more increase into the Magical side of his stats.

Jared is also much higher in Power Level than he stated, reaching almost 12,000. He gave himself too little credit. Lightning also has an extra 30-35 points on hers due to her control over her Physical Energy, which is much easier to produce. Hope is about right, however.

Non-Canon Abilities:

Multi-Shield: Multi-Shield is an Auto-Ability that allows one to use Multiple Shields at Once, stacking their effects. Max is 4 Shields. Unique to Jared.

Example: Mediguard at the base, Steelguard second, Vendetta on the surface.

In this case, Vendetta would take the majority of the damage, while Steelguard would lessen it, followed by Mediguard lowering the damage dealt even more in addition to the healing ability.

Weasel Strike: Ravager Ability. It's actually another name for an ability I sent to Gravenimage for the Fanfic "Legend of the Defiers". In that one, It would be called Aero Strike. Easiest way to put it: Weasel Strike is Aero put into a melee strike.

Dark: Dark element Magic attack. Sends a skinny Black beam that can pierce the target. Unable to be used with Psynergy. Not used by Winglies.

Darkra: Dark Element Magic Attack. Tier 2 of Dark. Black is more powerful, and slightly larger in diameter than Dark.

Darkga: Tier 3 of Dark. Twice as powerful as Darkra.

Drakja: Tier 4 of Dark. 5 times as powerful as Darkga.

The Dark series I had no idea of until Gravenimage used them in Legend of the Defiers, and as such I thank her for it. Eventually, Jared will learn Holy as well.

The Lightsworns also are gaining the abilities Jared does. If he gains a spell, the Spellcasters (Lyla, Jenis, Aurkus, Celestia) learn it. Celestia naturally has Holy, even if Jared does not. Jain will also have the most impact, gaining twice the boosts that Jared does in _all_ aspects. She is also the one that knows _all_ of Jared's abilities, plus her own. All others gain the Defense boosts (MDEF and DEF) along with the full ATK boost of their area:

MATK is main area for: Lyla, Celestia, Jenis, Lumina, Shire

ATK is main area for: Ehren, Garoth, Aurkus, Wulf, Ryko, Gragonith.

Rinyan gains 80% of both MATK and ATK

Aside from Rinyan, the Secondary Stat (Lyla Celestia, Jenis, Lumina, and Shire would be ATK) gains a 50% boost from what Jared gets in the Crystarium.

Judgment Dragon (Lightsworn Gestalt) has the combined stats of all Lightsworns.

Also, the Crystarium, in Jared's Case, is set at a certain point until he leaves the FF13 Realm, meaning Orphan and Barthandelus are dead and gone. Once that happens,after a while, he would be able to increase the stats only, and not gain any new abilities past what is learned naturally. He will continue to gain CP even after he's gone from the Realm it's from. He also has no limit to how much CP he can store in his own Crystal.

This is all for now.

This is probably something I should've brought up a few chapters ago, since I was going through the Lightsworn Eidolon battle ahead of time.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	6. Chapter 6

If you didn't read the Note at the end of the last chapter GO BACK AND READ IT! It has information you'll need to know, and probably things that you'll want to know.

**Chapter 6**

Lightning was walking along a branch, followed by Hope, and then Jared. They had just gotten off an elevator, and found themselves on a floor with beasts in the area, and barriers.

Jared looked around, and saw all the Wolves. Silver Lobos, they were called in game. "Silver Lobos..."

"Careful. They'll try to kill you." Lightning pointed out.

Jared walked up to one, and it snarled at him. He didn't back down, but instead knelt with a hand outstretched. Lightning watched with narrowed eyes, ready to draw and fire if need be.

The hand stopped a good 9 inches away from the beast, which surprised the Lobo slightly. "You don't like it here, do you?" Jared asked.

"_As if you'd understand me _human_."_ It growled.

Jared raised an eyebrow, but his eyes were still soft. "You're of the Wolf Class. I can easily understand wolves. It's why I lived in the mountains where I'm from."

"_Why do you bother to talk when I could kill you?"_ It snarled, but Jared held out his arm. He knew Lightning had drawn Blaze Omega. "To be frank, PSICOM and the guys here are really nothing in front of me. They keep you locked up so you can be _their_ pet. I gather you don't like that. I doubt you even have a chance of killing me unless I let you."

It snarled even more, but then one of the other three came up to him. _"Human... You smell... different."_

"How so?"

"_You have the scent of our kind on you already, but... it's different."_

Jared looked at that one, as did the first Lobo. "Different how?"

"_I do not know. It is simply different."_

"Hmm... Well, I've always gotten along with Wolves before. You guys classify as Wolves, so I can't say I'm surprised. Heh, maybe I have a relation to a Wolf Goddess too." Jared shook his head. "Wouldn't surprise me."

"_That is not it. Apparently, the barriers here are kept in place because of us. You would have to remove us to Proceed."_

"_Meaning you'll kill us!"_ The first one was growling.

"By remove you, you mean get your life force away from the barriers, right?"

"_Exactly, but to my knowledge, death is the only option."_

Jared now had a smirk. "It's a good thing I'm not limited to your knowledge." This caused the snarling and growling to stop. "There is a Void that I use for Storage. I can keep you there, and your life force would effectively disappear from this area. At this point, the only other option is death, and I _really_ don't like killing wolves. I'd be able to set you guys free, but I'll only do so for your kind. I'm not bringing any Behemoths, or anything else. Only you and your kind. That is, if you agree."

"_How do you know it won't kill us anyway?"_ The first asked, as the third walked up.

"If you take it, you'll see another wolf that's already in there. I can go in there myself and talk to him, but he's actually quite lonely. I found him injured, and nursed him back to health. He's my friend, and currently, my traveling partner, but I can't risk him being out and about with PSICOM gunning for my head. He's still alive after 5 years. I'm not going to knowingly put him in danger. I can tell you respect your kind. I figure you would respect him because you share some Origins."

The Lobos looked at each other, then back at Jared. _"We want vengeance against the ones here. You keep us in this Void of yours, and you take out anyone you see here. Save our kind. You do that, we will help you in return, when you need it. Do we have a deal?"_

Jared nodded, and extended his own shadow, which sucked them in. "This is the way. I hope I live up to your standards." They howled a battle cry, which, to the locals, meant that help was there. All Silver Lobos stopped, and looked in the direction. As all 3 Silver Lobos went into his Shadow, the barrier dissipated.

Jared stood up, and looked at the others. "What did you just do?" Lightning asked.

"Gained an ally, and got rid of some possible threats." Jared replied. "Long story short, the Silver Lobos will be saved. The rest, should they attack, die. The Moment the Woodlands Observation Battalion find us, if they come into view, I'm killing them, as the deal said. Besides, if they find us, they'll try to kill us, so it's really self defense."

Lightning and Hope looked at each other, and then at Jared, then back to the road ahead. "Then let's go. The less we fight here, the less tired we'll be. We'll leave the Silver Lobos to you, Jared. Keep on that Deal. It'll help us later."

Jared nodded at the soldier, and they continued. The Silver Lobos came up to him, growling, but stopped when the smelled something. _"You the help?"_ Jared nodded. _"Where are you going to take us?"_

"My Shadow Vault. The others are already there. When I get to a safe spot, I'll release you if you want. Preferably a place where the soldiers here will never find you, and you can live in peace. If you want to stay with me at that point, it's your choice."

The five Lobos looked at each other, before giving Jared the go. Once that happened, Jared extended his Shadow and brought them in. He found the Barrier was not down yet. "Alright, Libra." He used it on the Crawlers. "That'll work. Hope, you get Enfire?"

"No."

"Huh. Alright then." He ended up casting Enfire on Lightning's Blaze Omega. "Light?" He pointed at the leeches. "Weakness is fire, and I have none."

She looked at him, before going for it. Hope used Fira and got rid of a few. There were more, which was taken out by Hope and a well placed Fira, along with a Triple Flamestrike from Jared. They both looked at him. "Probably should've asked Cerberus before I spoke. I've stuck to Triple Sparkstrike, Triple Shadowstrike, and Tri Blast. Darkstrike and Shadowstrike are pretty much the same, but for some reason, Triple Shadowstrike is only usable with Cerberus, being his ability. Apparently, the fact that I never asked, nor have I tried, I never found out."

Lightning just shook her head. "My opinion of you has yet to change. Smart, powerful, and a great fighter, but a major idiot at times."

Jared just shrugged. "No argument there." Hope looked at him weirdly. "Look, let's get going, okay? I want to get through this and take out the Aster Protoflorian quickly, and get to Palumpolum. I _seriously_ need to knock a few heads loose."

As the barrier went down, they walked through and Saw a Silver Lobo near some Crawlers. The crawlers were attacking the Silver Lobo, which was actually surprising. The Lobo's Shadow jumped up and made a shield, surprising it, before it looked at Jared. "Let us deal with them, friend." Hope fired a Fira, while Lightning used Fire. Jared just used Vital Boon on the Silver Lobo, who promptly thanked him in return. "So, you want out of here?"

"_Of course."_

Jared extended his Shadow and enveloped the Silver Lobo, who went in willingly. He looked at the others. "That's 8 for us." He told them. They continued, and then found themselves cut off at every angle. The pit they found themselves in was sparse with Flora, mostly Giant Mushrooms, but the rocks were pretty high. Too high for normal Soldiers to jump. Jared could _still_ jump them, though.

"Looks like we've been spotted." Lightning stated, as a Feral Behemoth came into the area.

"The Observation Battalion are a bunch of pussies." Jared commented. "Sending beasts like this to do their dirty work. No better than Fal'cie."

Hope used Libra, and found everything out. "It's a Feral Behemoth. Lightning and Fire elements are halved. Weak to Water, but be careful of Water Attacks!"

"Barwater!" Jared put that around all the others, and himself, while Hope put Protect over the others. Jared followed up with Shell, and then Faith. While Hope put Bravery on everyone. Then, Jared put Enwater on everyone. A single strike with Blaze Omega had dealt a _lot_ more damage than usual.

Jared held out Cerberus, Reaper being on his back, and pulled the Trigger. "Triple Aquastrike!" The Feral Behemoth roared, before Charging at Jared. Jared just put up Mediguard and Vendetta in response, Vendetta on the surface. The Behemoth continued to try and strike Jared, while Hope pelted it with Watera, and Lightning did the same with melee Strikes. This went on for 2 minutes, the Behemoth attacking Jared, and Hope sent a Cure at him only once. Then, Jared broke out, his right fist glowing red, before going into the Mouth, and out the back of the Behemoth, thus killing it, before he even landed. Jared looked at it, and sighed. "Poor thing." he looked around, and the barriers went down.

One of the plants lead to a higher area, which the group used to proceed. There, they saw 10 crawlers. Jared whistled. "Shall we?"

Hope nodded, though slightly panting. Sure, Jared had taken all the hits, but he lacked a lot of needed stamina to keep up. Lightning knew she had a Medic Class, but she didn't use it much. Lightning also nodded at the question. She sent Fire, Hope sent Fira, and Jared used Enfire on Reaper, before cutting through the rest in one charge.

Hope then started panting a bit more. "I think... Light should... lead..."

She looked at him and nodded. "Alright, we'll take five." Hope sat down, and Lightning pulled out a Survival Knife, before handing it to him. "Keep it with you. Mainly to defend yourself."

Hope looked at her, and nodded. "Thanks..."

"I'll want it back." She told him.

"I'd expect as much. You got it from Serah, after all." Jared commented. As they began to rest, Lightning noticed that Hope felt a little down. She also noticed that Jared did, but wasn't doing anything. "What's eating at you?" Hope looked at her. "And don't say there's nothing, because I can see it."

"It's his Father." Jared said, earning a nod from Hope. "and the only reason I'm not doing anything is because it's more of a personal problem than something I can help with. He needs clarification. He can only get that in Palumpolum. Here, we can do nothing."

Hope sighed. "But, it's not just that." he then remembered something. "Sazh said that you saw what happened to a woman, and that I seemed devastated because of it. What happened?"

Jared looked at Hope. "You're talking about the woman that was blown off her feet after an explosion came behind her, right?"

Hope nodded in response. "Well, the woman, though I could see her, I couldn't hear her where I was at. After the explosion, everyone started to fall. Snow grabbed the woman, and she died while he still had a grip. After her life force left her, she fell, and Snow fell soon afterwards." He then looked into Hope's eyes. "That woman was your mother, I presume?" The teen nodded. "Then know that it wasn't Snow's fault that she's dead. She made her choice, and she went down fighting. She has spirit. If nothing else, I have to give her that."

"You mean "Had" right?" Lightning questioned.

"I know what I said, and my wording hasn't changed. Her soul still lingers on. I can feel it."

"Wait, if her soul is here, then where is she?"

Jared walked up to Hope, and tapped his chest. "Right here. Part of her lives on in you. Which part, I don't know, but it's there. Believe in her choice. She fought to help you survive. You want to let her down?"

"No!" He replied. "I'll never let her down! Not in a million years!"

Jared smiled. "Good. There's your motivation to get stronger. So someone else doesn't befall the same fate she did." He held out a hand. "Understand?"

Hope looked at the hand, and gripped it, before they shook. "Yes. I understand. And you're right. I have to prevent others from going down that path."

They looked at Lightning. "Alright, let's move." They found a giant tree nearby, and then climbed up it, to reach a path which they took only a short distance before they were met with a leaf from the tree, and Lightning cut it down with one swipe of Blaze Omega.

Hope then looked at her. "Where I can learn to use one of those?"

"Bit too heavy for you, unless he makes it." She thumbed at Jared, before sheathing her Gunblade.

"It would take a while, since we're on the run, but if we end up going somewhere like Pulse, then I should be able to make some time for it. Still, I wouldn't suggest you use it during all of this." Jared added. "Unless I had my full set of Psynergy back, then I could make it anywhere. Seriously, with Psynergy I can make my own personal Forge, and use it on my own. Doesn't matter where I am, or what's in the area. Sadly, I'm missing almost all of the pieces to make it. Only one I have is Whirlwind. I need the fire, which falls under Mars, I'd need to Metal, which is actually a Cross-Psynergy with Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, and then I'd need the fuel, which would be Venus. Venus is Earth, Mercury is Water and Ice, Jupiter is Wind and Lightning, Mars is Fire and other super hot elements."

They continued to walk ahead, and found more Silver Lobos which saw Jared and paused at his scent. _"You freeing us?"_ Jared nodded. _"Where to?"_ Jared just extended his shadow and brought them in.

By the end of the area, he got 4 more Silver Lobos, making the count 12. They jumped up some more plants, and got to higher ground. There, they found 3 crawlers, 2 Silver Lobos, and another one that Lightning and Hope didn't recognize. Lightning used Libra on this one. "Barbed Specter. Weak to fire. Watch out for Poison."

"I'm immune to most Poisons." Jared retorted, "but I'll watch it."

She nodded, and they sent out a lot more Fire spells, as Jared extended his shadow to catch the Lobos, and bring them into his Shadow Vault. "Lobo Count: 14." He said, before launching a Triple Flamestrike at the Specter.

They continued on for a bit, before they found more beasts, which they took care of. The Specter and Crawlers were easy. One Triple Flamestrike, 3 Fire, 2 Fira or a Single hit with Enfire using Blaze Omega would take them down. Then came another Feral Behemoth, which Jared just charged, drawing Reaper, who glowed. "Mortal Danger." His voice was low, and he stabbed the Behemoth right in the back, straight into the spine, causing it to stop, fall, and disintegrate starting at the point of impact. Hope and Lightning looked at him is actual shock. Lightning had never seen him do that, which was honestly surprising. "What... Was that?" Hope asked, his voice denoting the shock.

"That, my friends was Mortal Danger. A Reaper Special." Jared sheathed Reaper. "He got bored so I took his advice and just went for it."

"If you could do that before, why wait until now?"

Jared sighed, and then looked at Hope. "Because we're trying to toughen you up, Hope. If I did that to every best we came across, which I can't, then you'd gain no experience. As it stands, draining their soul means very little progress in the Crystarium." Another barrier went down. "I won't use it often, and really, it's up to him, but if they're immune to Instant Death and Doom then Mortal Danger will not work. Robots, Androids, and the like have no soul, so it won't work on them either." They started to walk on, and jumped down using the Blue tree/plant. And found another Behemoth.

They decided to deal as much damage as Possible, but when Jared used Spark Plasma, it didn't hit the Behemoth.

No, it hit the Watera, causing it to fall quickly. Jared looked at Hope, who looked at him. They both smirked at the implications. They looked at Lightning, who nodded. "That's definitely gonna come in handy." She commented, as they continued through where the barrier was.

The next area held a few more and a large fork in the road. They decided to take everything out anyway, meaning another 6 Crawlers and 4 Barbed Specters, before seeing 5 More Crawlers and a Feral Behemoth down the right side. They took out the Crawlers first, with utmost ease. They were so used to it, but after they were down, Jared used Enwater on Lightning, before using Ruinga, followed by using Dark, and then Darkstrike with Reaper. The decided to use lower level spells, aside from Jared who just flat out liked Ruinga, to gain the experience and CP needed to progress the Crystarium.

Once the Behemoth was down, they continued on and found a Feral Behemoth and 3 more Silver Lobos. Jared sent out an Electromagnetic Pulse, disrupting all Surveillance equipment in the area. "We got 25 minutes before the cameras are back online! Let's take out the Behemoth!" They got between the Behemoth and the Lobos. "Hope! Heal the Lobos!"

Before Hope could, Lightning was already using Cure on them all. "Light, when did you?"

"Later. I'll heal them. You two take that thing."

"Hope, use Watera. Same combo as before. Spark Plasma!"

"Watera!" The damage caused was massive, and a few more hits with Dark, and then Watera, the Behemoth went down. Jared turned to the Lobos, which Lightning had just finished healing. They looked at her, and then Jared. _"You saved us... Why?"_ One of them asked.

"Because I'm here to get you guys out of here." Jared replied.

"_How?"_

Jared looked at them, before his shadow extended. "With this." He caught them all in his Shadow, and brought them into the vault. "Lobo count: 17." The other two nodded, and they continued. They went up another plant, and found an elevator, which took them up.

As they went up, Jared's eyes unfocused, as he went into the Crystarium and progressed in Ravager. He learned Fire, and Darkra during this round. Lightning's eyes did the same, and she progressed along Medic, learning Raise.

Once they got off the Elevator, they found 4 more Silver Lobos, with 3 Military Troops keeping an eye on them. Jared used Libra on them. "Two Corps Watchmen, and one corps Marksman. Light, you got Blizzard yet?"

"No." She replied.

"I do. Blizzara as well." Hope added.

"Light, you charge in after I use Enfrost and Haste. Hope, you use Blizzara to get their attention. They're all weak to Ice." Jared told them.

"Right." Lightning got Enfrost, Hope used Blizzara, and Jared shot one of them with Triple Froststrike, that one was downed instantly.

They walked up to the Silver Lobos, who saw what they did. And they looked at Jared. _"Friend?"_

"Friend."

"_Take us with you!"_ they replied. Jared figured that these were actually pups compared to the others, and extended his shadow to bring them into it. "Lobo Count: 21." They continued and found more Corps Watchmen and another Marksman. Same as before, but it was a _lot_ easier than last time.

Why?

Because Jared instinctively used Glacier from the Mercury Branch of Psynergy. He closed his eyes, and felt it out. "Mercury is back... Mars and Venus are still cut off. Meaning, I still have no Earth, and one Fire."

They looked at him and nodded. However, before they could get moving, a large floating motorcycle came in, and struck. Hope used Libra, and gave its stats. "High powered Water attacks, nothing else worth noting." He told them.

Jared had decided to take this one to the defense. "Hey! Rusty Wheel! Can't touch this!" the floating motorcycle turned to Jared and started launching barrage after barrage, each of which did very little damage through his Steel/Mediguard. Combo. Lightning and Hope dealt as much Damage as they could, before the Velocycle turned to them. However at that moment, Jared was suddenly on the thing's back, and messed with the wiring, causing the two to stop, and the thing to hit the path.

They both looked at the Deactivated Velocycle. Jared examined it, made sure it stayed inactive, and then put it in the Shadow Vault. "I'm gonna modify that later. Could use another one, though."

They both looked at him like he was crazy, but then looked at each other and shrugged, before they continued.

They found two more Marksmen and another Milvus Velocycle. They took out the Corps Marksmen with 2 Blizzara, and a Triple Froststrike, before Jared appeared on the Velocycle, deactivated it, froze the circuitry, and put it in his Shadow Vault with the other one. "If we find another, I'm taking it too. Here on out, I'm taking the Velocycles with me. I've got infinite Storage, and perhaps I can make an actual Motorcycle with them. One that is customizable for later use."

"Fine. Just make sure that you keep them out of their eyes."

Jared narrowed his eyes at something further down the path. "The idiots..." Lightning and Hope looked at where he was looking, but then went that way, not seeing what it was. Jared was right there with them, not bothering to use his insane speed.

What they found had Hope in shock. All around them, lay the corps from the W.O.B. Jared looked at them, and shook his head. "They're already dead." he looked out. "Not good."

"Let me guess, you're picking something else up, aren't you?" Light questioned, earning a nod. "How bad?"

"The strongest thing I've felt here. How it escaped my senses until now, I don't know."

"Any guess as to what it is?"

"Only one." Lightning's eyes widened.

"Wait, you think it's the..."

"I hope I'm wrong, but that's what I think." He told her.

"What are you two talking about?" Hope asked, but he didn't get an answer.

Jared just ran in the direction of the high power, Lightning followed. Hope just watched, before following suit. They found Jared looking at a giant quadruped plant. As Lightning and Hope got there, he actually made a comment which neither of them understood. "You know, this could be an Oversized Purple colored Bulbasaur."

"A what?" Lightning asked.

"Wait. You know of Pokemon?" Hope asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Jared.

"We'll talk on that later." Jared said, earning a nod from Hope. Jared used Libra. "I did that for the Datalog. Aster Protoflorian. All elements halved, immune to Death and Dispel." His eyes then widened. "The Exoproofing! That's what does it!"

"Balls to the the walls, boys!" Lightning shouted, sending out Ruin, while Jared returned with Darkra, dealing more damage than usual. Hope, however, added Brave, and Faith, followed by Haste on Lightning, knowing that Jared could dodge everything without it. Then came Protect and Shell.

Lightning kept striking and then jumping back, and using Ruin. It took a good 10 minutes of this that the Giant Blue Bulbasaur spun its bulb, but not as a line. It suddenly had a light Blue aura. Jared then felt what this aura was. "That's the Exoproofing!" His eyes widened. "Absorb Ice, Weak Fire! All other elements halved! Pound it!"

Jared used fire with his right hand, and Triple Flamestrike with Cerberus in his left. Hope used Fira often, with fire sometimes, but then it changed the element, and the color changed, to a dark purple. Jared called it out. "Absorb Lightning, Weak to water! Punch it!"

He then stuck to Ruin, Ruinga and used Dark and Darkra as well, before adding Defensive buffs such as Protect and Shell, since Hope's wore off quickly. He soon noticed that Lightning and Hope were slowing down, so before Hope could recast Haste, he used Hastega, increasing _all_ of their speed. Jared was little more than a blur when he moved now, but he was severely holding back.

The Giant plant went to punch him, and it went through, as if he wasn't even there. It used Exoproofing again, and now the aura was a Red orange. "Absorb fire, weak Ice!"

This prompted Hope to use Blizzara, and Jared to use Triple Froststrike, but then, Reaper wanted some action, which he obliged. He dodged a punch from the beast, and then got above it, Reaper over his head and glowing. "Shadow Cannon!" He swung it down, and a Large Purple beam came out, and pushing it into the ground. Before it could get up, still having the Fire proofing, he used Glacier on the beast, effectively killing it, and landed. The aura disappeared, and life left its body.

Jared, Hope and Lightning looked at it. Hope was panting. "That... was tough." Hope said, through his labored breath.

"No surprise." Jared admitted. "That thing is widely considered the Hardest Boss in the game back home. Come on, let's move. We can rest, _after_ we get out of here."

Lightning nodded, as did Hope.

And they continued until it was nearly sunset, and they were at a beach, which Hope spoke at. "There it is... Palumpolum."

"Your home..." Lightning commented, earning a nod.

"Your father is there." Jared said, earning looks from the two. "And so is the truth."

"Even if your eyesight is good, how could you see him from this distance?" Hope questioned.

"I can't." Jared admitted. "But I can feel a combination of your mother's Spiritual Energy and yours as well, though both in small traces, but they emanated from the same point as a Third. If you ask me, that's your father." He looked around, and then felt something. His eyes widened, and then extended his shadow, bring up a house made of Obsidian, and Dark Purple Crystals. It was a small 1 story building, about 40 feet wide, and 50 feet long. There was one door, 4 windows, and a small porch.

Hope and Lightning blinked a few times, and looked at Jared. "When you said you had a house in your Shadow Vault, you weren't kidding." Lightning commented.

"Have I ever truly lied to you without coming clean when you were allowed to know?" Jared asked.

Lightning didn't even respond to that, and opened the door, which had an Obsidian door knob, and went inside, seeing the Silver Lobos inside, along with a 3 foot tall Grey Wolf. She knew it wasn't one of his Eidolons. She had seen them all before. The wolves all looked at Jared. _"Where are we?"_ One of the Lobos asked.

"You're effectively in my spare house. I just brought it out. You're not out of the woods yet, but we're not in the Gapra Whitewood. Besides, it's almost night, and we kind of need to stay somewhere. I'm sure Hope is probably having some back problems due to the weird positions he's slept in. This is the first place where I've found Geothermal Energy flowing the ground. Never thought I'd find any on Cocoon." he then walked into the small kitchen, and brought out quite a bit of Food for the wolves, and made a Shadow that started to cook.

While the Clone cooked, Jared was busy feeding the Wolves, and they were a lot happier with this food than what those idiots in the Corps were feeding them. Not only was it tasty, they felt themselves getting stronger just by eating it. "They didn't feed you much, did they?" Jared asked.

"_No, just raw meat. It sucked compared to this!"_ One of them said, as Jared brought out more bowls and put some more food in them. The wolves that weren't chowing down went to the other bowls. "21 Silver Lobos. Might train you guys myself later on. Help me out when I need it, you know? Or maybe help some of my friends if _they _need it. Chris, you okay?" He asked, looking at the Grey Wolf, who he sensed was a little downtrodden.

"_Yeah, I'm fine."_ The wolf replied.

Jared sighed, and walked over to the Wolf, and pulled him onto Jared's lap. "Chris, you should know by now you can't lie to me. What's on your mind?"

"_It's nothing, Jared."_

"You know, you're not convincing me that there's nothing wrong." Jared repeated. "Just tell me what's wrong, and I'll see what I can do to fix it."

Jared heard the sigh. _"These guys don't even respect you."_

"They just don't know me that well, Chris." Jared said, looking at the Lobos. "You've known me for 5 years. Paku's known me for over 35 years. Give them time to figure out what I'm truly like. Only then will they respect me. I may be insane, but I'm not stupid. Respect is earned, not given. I did what I thought was right in rescuing these guys like I did you." All of the Lobos, Hope and Lightning heard this, and were paying attention to him now.

"I do the same thing with Gods. They don't respect me, I won't respect them. At the same time, these guys won't respect me unless I give them a reason to. I mean, I could snap and they'd all be dead, but what would that accomplish? Their kin, Chris. I've always considered myself a Grey Wolf. I'm a gun smith, Black smith, Dragon Knight, Royal Knight, Rune soldier, Universal Adept, Hero, Guardian, White Shadow, but out of all my titles, I still prefer the father of Mark and Eris Barona above all of the rest. To me, my family, my very pack, is more important than glory, power, or the world. If it means my pack is safe, then by all means I'll save the world. If I have to destroy a government to keep them safe, then I will. My pack means everything to me, Chris. When all else fails, my pack gets me back on track. You're part of the pack, too."

The Silver Lobos heard this, and were wondering if they were in it as well. "If these Lobos want to join the pack, that's fine by me. But it's their choice. They are their own pack. I'm an outsider that tried to help them, and am still in the process of doing so. If they want into my pack, then I'm not going to refuse them. Birds of a Feather flock together, and all that. But really, I consider myself a Grey Wolf, like you are. They're wolves as well. It's why I wanted to save them. I couldn't bear to see them in captivity the way they were. It was demoralizing, and if there weren't any others there, I'd blow the damn place sky high... You know, I might do that anyway." He ended up musing.

"_Jared, you're crazy."_

"No, I'm insane. There's a difference."

Hope and Lightning may not be able to understand the Wolves, but they both knew that it said he was crazy. "But being Insane is not all bad. Sure, there are low points, but the flip side of the coin is, you get ideas that most would never think of, and things never get dull. I told you what I did to Melbu. That was the result of an Insane plan."

"_So, you're gonna blow it to Kalamazoo?"_ Chris asked.

"Ehh... I might just blow it Mayfil. Besides, I'm really hoping I can get to Gran Pulse soon. Seriously, I miss Paku. And I _know _he'd blow the Gapra Whitewood to bits if he heard what I was thinking about that place. Still... between the two of us, he's the nicer choice."

"_I know that."_

Jared smiled. "Feeling better?"

"_Yeah... thanks."_

Jared started rubbing Chris's stomach, and the little wolf fell asleep in Jared's lap, as he smiled. "Good night, Chris." Chris was put in his bed, which was ironically similar to a doggie bed. He had no cages, and the Lobos were happy for that, but it was unknown where they'd sleep.

"Just pick a spot, you guys." Jared told the wolves. "But I suggest you not go into his bed, or that one." He pointed at Chris and then the other bed. "Light gets that bed," He pointed at the Human bed. "Hope gets the couch," He pointed where Hope was already sitting. "And I've got the chair." He pointed to the reclining Black leather chair. "Anywhere else, aside from the Kitchen, beyond that door," He pointed to a single door. "And outside," he pointed at the Black obsidian Door. "is fair game for you guys. Just no fighting over a spot. Okay?"

They all replied with a "Yes." The Shadow finished dinner, Hope, Lightning and Jared ate heartily, but didn't overstuff themselves.

Jared sat down in the chair, and fell asleep quickly. Most of the Silver Lobos slept near said Chair in a bunch, While Lightning was in the bed, and Hope was laying down on the two-seater Couch.

-The next morning-

Jared opened his eyes to see most of the Silver Lobos around him, still sleeping, one sleeping in the bed next to an Unconscious Lightning, which she had her arm around. Another was next to Hope, though on the floor. Jared sweatdropped, and looked at the time, which _always_ showed Local time. _'Good thing I made a clock that gives time no matter what Dimension I'm in. Seriously, This place would have the right time in Endiness, Weyard, even here. I may have programmed it to hack into the _sun_ and calculate the timeframe used, and put it in terms of local time, but still, that thing was a real piece of work. Hmm... Considering that I can't take this just anywhere, I'd need a smaller clock. Maybe a watch?'_ His thoughts were cut off as he noticed Lightning stirring. Hope was still dead to the world, apparently.

She blinked a few times and saw the Silver Lobo. Before she screamed, Jared spoke. "Looks like she likes you." He whispered enough for her to hear. She managed to look at Jared without waking the Lobo in the bed. "I woke up and she was there. Same with that one." He pointed at Hope, and the one near him.

The Lobo next to Lightning gave off a barely audible yawn as it looked at Lightning. What happened next surprised her. _"Thank you."_ She heard what it said clear as day, and her eyes widened. "Y-You're welcome..." The surprise was getting to her, apparently.

"You understood her?" Jared asked.

"_I did a little something last night, because I felt like I should be with her."_ The Lobo replied. Lightning looked at the Lobo. _"Check your hand."_ She nudged Lightning's left hand, which still had the glove on. She took off the glove and found a Silver Wolf mark on the back of her hand. She looked at the Silver Lobo, and her eyes were asking a question she couldn't seem to voice.

"_I kind of marked you. We're partners for life, now. I'm sticking with you. Also, if someone tries to control me through Mind control, you can give me an order, and it'll break the control they have. I'll also live as long as you do."_

"What if I become a Ci'eth? I'm a L'cie."

"_Then I'll still stick next to you. You turn to crystal, I'll end up being added to the Crystal. Either way, I'll be with you until the end. If you die a Ci'eth, I'll die. If you get released from Crystal, so will I. But if you turn Ci'eth, I won't turn, but I'll still stick by you."_

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Did you just make her an Anima?"

"_What's an Anima?"_

"A Human that has a Life Pact with an Animal. Aside from the whole L'cie description, what you said would seem to do the same thing as what I know."

"_Hmm... I think so. You'd have to ask the others. I'm still young, and it was actually more on instinct than anything else. Once done, though, it can't be taken back."_

"Yeah, Anima." Jared replied.

"What's an Anima?"

Jared took out his Datalog, and sent some information to Lightning's. "Never thought it would happen here, but I had the information on Anima. Most of it is rumors, and hearsay, and nothing is proven. You'll have to tell fact from crap. Still, I got a lot of CP from the Oversized Bulbasaur."

"About that. What the hell is a Bulbasaur?"

"I should probably wait until Hope wakes up before _that_ explanation. But... Okay, you saw the Aster Protoflorian." She nodded. "Picture that, but no more than 3 feet tall, more green than blue, and no way of setting up Auras like _that_ guy. You've got a Bulbasaur."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Hope groaned and got up. Sleeping on an actual bed was more relaxing than normal, seeing as he was sleeping in odd positions beforehand. Jared, however, was used to sleeping in worse positions, so he was fine. "Morning Hope."

Hope slowly turned his head to Jared. "Morning." he yawned, and stretched, before noticing the Silver Lobo at his feet, who was still asleep. "Hope, go into that room," Jared pointed at a room aside from one of the Off limits areas. "and see if you can find another mark on you. Light, show him yours." She held up her hand, showing off the Silver Wolf mark. "If you find something like that, then you're in the same boat as Light. And Light..." He looked at her. "You should name your partner."

Jared sunk into his shadow and then came out of it on the outside of the Lobo Pack. Jared motioned for Lightning to follow him into one of the forbidden rooms, and he showed her inside, before closing the door.

When she got in there, her breath got caught in her throat. Around her on the walls of the 20X40X20 room, which shouldn't even fit into the building, was weapons of all kinds and designs. She saw a few different Armors, of different shapes and sizes. Most of them were a Deep crimson, similar to his usual one, but in different shapes. One was just a chest plate with Golden Shoulder straps. Another was similar to that one, but also had two Shoulder Pauldrons, a few more flaps at the waist, going on the sides, in front, and behind. It was made as if it would protect a man's balls, his ass, and the hips.

Then there was a Full-Platemail Armor in a Silver Color. No secondary, either.

The next set of armor actually confused her, as she saw no way to put it on. It was about Jared's height, silver in color, and looked a lot more humanoid, as if it were meant to fit the shape of the person using it. She saw a single hole in the chest, and two more on the palms.

Jared noticed her gaze. "That's an "Ironman" Suit. To be honest, it was based off of Ironman where I come from. Ironman was really just a man that got hit with the shrapnel of a powerful cluster Missile called a Jericho Missile. I'll tell you about the missile later. Anyway, the shrapnel was lowly moving towards his heart, but he got a Power Core with a Magnet that kept the Shrapnel from entering his heart, thus killing him. The Power core was in his chest. The Core kept him alive, and he used the suit with the power of said Core. However, at first, there was a major Drawback. You see, the core was powered by something called Palladium. It may have powered the Core that kept him alive, but it was also killing him, until he found out what his father was planning. A New element was rediscovered by Ironman, and was used to power the Core. With the new element, he was no longer in any danger of dying from the Shrapnel, or the toxic properties of Palladium, which was purged with the application of the new core." He sighed.

"This suit is not finished, though. I've only got the basic points in, and general shape of the armor itself. It's far from useable. I've still got upwards of 20 weapons to install, along with a Storage for it. Then there's a way to power it, targeting Systems, AI, and then some. I've actually been trying to improve on the last model, which I gave to a friend, who gave it to Mark. Mark has been making good use of _my_ Warmachine. It uses a combination of Magic and Technology. It's a lot better than the PSICOM Armors that we've seen. Seriously, PSICOM can barely take a few Ruinga, and I've seen Larger and more powerful blasts hit the Warmachine Armor. Warmachine was unfazed by a blast 22 times as powerful as Ruinga." He smirked a bit. "And I intend on making this one _better_."

She nearly gaped. "How?"

Jared looked at her. "Honestly, I've no idea. Warmachine was powerful, I'll admit that, but it was made in a place where the best Long-range weapon was a Bow and Arrow. Until I got there, there was nothing even similar to guns, as Cannons were still hard to come by. Maybe 3 or 4 of them in existence there. It's my best creation to date." He looked around. "Everything in here, I've made personally, with a Forge, some Raw materials, a hammer and an anvil."

This time, she did gape at him, before walking up to a sword. It was a good 7 feet long, had a single edge, and looked to be a finely made blade, with two extensions on the sides and a larger hilt than need be. It was a good foot wide, and the handle stretched a good 16 inches before the pommel, which was a Crimson Wolf Head with Sapphires for eyes. Finely cut Sapphires, at that.

He walked up next to her. "Splitting Moon." This earned her attention, which was now more out of curiosity than anything else. In Jared's mind, she looked like a kid in the candy store. "Splitting Moon is actually 5 blades that combine into one large blade. What's you see now, is the Full Combination. You see, there are two hollow blades, which connect at on end, which is right here." He pointed to a place that was at the hilt by the blade edge. "One attaches to the left, the other attaches to the right. Back here," he pointed to the Blunt end at the hilt. "There are two folding blades. When disengaged, the handle pops out like a Spring, and kept out so it can be grabbed. The Spring will keep it out, unless the Wielder forces it back. Then there's the base. It actually has two forms, split open, and closed." he went to a different sword, and pulled it off its rack. "This one is another copy of the base." It split, and she saw the double blades that went from a Broadsword to two blades with a gap inbetween. "Same size and everything."

He put it back on the rack, and walked back over to Splitting Moon. "However, Splitting Moon isn't finished, either. And I don't plan to unless someone manages to break Reaper in half, and that'll take a while. Reaper _can't_ be repaired. He knows it, and so do I. When he breaks, he's agreed to be reforged and added on to Splitting Moon, so his soul and abilities transfer into each piece."

"So, you have a back up in case he _does_ break."

Jared nodded at her response, and sighed. "He doesn't like it, but he sees the point. Without knowing the actual method to forge him, which I don't know, it would be impossible to fix him. If I do it wrong, let's just say it would completely remove the Sentience from Reaper, and that would not be good, as I would lose the Shadow Cannon. There are only two known weapons able to use Shadow Cannon, and I couldn't find the other when I was in Weyard. Besides, the Umbra Knuckles are not my style, but I _did_ look for them."

He walked back to the door, and looked at her. "Come on. I'll make breakfast." They left the room, and Jared pointed at the door he had Hope go through, seeing him on the couch petting the Silver Lobo, who already explained what he did. Jared didn't notice the Shadow cooking breakfast before, nor did he remember creating it. _'Probably was still around from last night.'_

"Hey. I had the Mark, and I took a Shower. Thanks for that. I really needed it." Hope said. "Anyway, Kadeem filled me in on what the mark was for."

"He knew?" Jared asked.

"Yeah, He knew what he was doing from the get go. He filled me in when I got out of the Shower. I've gotta say I'm impressed with the new abilities."

Jared nodded, and looked at Light, silently telling her to take a Shower. He had seen her enough times that he knew her sizes, shape, and preferred style, so he reached into his own shadow, and pulled out another Uniform, which he had made, and cleaned her Pauldron. He actually snapped and her dirty clothes appeared in his arms, as he put it into a container, which then vanished into the wall.

The Shadow finished breakfast, and started to serve the Silver Lobos, while hope took some and fed his Partner. Jared fed Lightning's partner, as she showered. When she came out, mostly dry and in her uniform, she looked at Jared. "Where's my actual Uniform?"

"Washing. That has the same measurements, style, lighter in weight, and much more sturdy. It's made of Woven threads of Mythril, which I found in Weyard. It's on the same level as Reaper, and he can take several hundred Bullets in a 10 second timeframe. That uniform is effectively bulletproof. It's slightly more sturdy than my own armor, since I didn't make this armor. This one is severely enhanced steel, while that is Mythril. This Armor may come close, but Mythril is far more sturdy with less weight than steel."

The three humans then started to eat themselves, while the Shadow dispelled. Once Jared finished eating, he went to take a Shower, and went into the other room, which he led Lightning into.

When he came out, he was in Forest Green Spandex with the second armor she found. The Crimson one with Pauldrons on the shoulders, hips, front and back of the waist. It held the symbol of the Crimson Dragon. Reaper was slid through a slit on the right shoulder Pauldron. There was also a black band over his left thigh with a golden Belt Buckle that read "Death" in Black letters. Attached to that band was a Holster that held Reaper. They noticed a small pouch was at his waist, on both sides.

Lightning raised an eyebrow at the new attire. "Is that Spandex?"

"Close. It functions like spandex, but, like your current outfit, it's made of Woven Threads of Mythril. I've been trying to find a way to combine Titanium and Mythril into a new metal alloy, though. He looked at the Silver Lobos. "You guys will have to stay in here. Light, Hope, your partners will have to as well. PSICOM can't kill me, and the only way to lose this house is if it's in my Shadow Vault and I die."

"Kadeem, could you stay here for now? When we're safer, I'll ask him to let you out. Besides, I have to see my own father for something, and I doubt he'd take kindly to you if he saw you."

"And I have to make sure he doesn't get himself killed." Lightning told her partner. "Seriune, please. Wait for us to call you back, okay?" Their partners nodded sadly. Lightning gave a sad look. "I'll be sure to get you out of here the first chance I can get."

"Same here, Kadeem. I'll be back. Don't worry about me. Besides, Light and I have to make sure he doesn't do something stupid." Hope was glancing at Jared, who noticed.

"Hey! I may be Insane, but I'm not stupid!" Hope and Lightning gave him deadpanned looks. Chris just looked at him. "What are you looking at?"

"_Nothing. I thought I saw something that wasn't there."_

He raised his eyebrow. "Such as?"

"_Your Sanity."_ Everyone present heard this, even Lightning and Hope. Those that did laughed, chuckled, or in Jared's case, blinked.

"Uh, how could it even be here when I lost it back in the Prime Realm, where I was born?"

"You know what? I think that's something best left untouched." Lightning said. "We should get moving, and get to Palumpolum. The sooner we see Hope's father, the better."

Hope nodded in agreement. "The streets will be less packed in the mornings. Not many residents are morning people, and it's a Saturday. No school, shops open at 8:30, and few people are going for anything until 9:00."

"That's if PSICOM isn't there." Jared pointed out.

"If they are, then we'll have to get past them." Lightning pointed out. Jared went back into his "Armory" and came back out 6 minutes later with a strange Boomerang. It was black and gray,and seemed to have Spines down the end. It essentially looked like a Boomerang from hell. "Hope, this is Nue. Quite literally, a Boomerang from Hell."

Hope looked at it, but instead of fear, he felt a calming presence. Jared held it out to him. "I made it from pieces of the structure in Mayfil. Never thought I'd use it, but for now, I think you can."

"How are you so sure he can?" Lightning asked.

Hope had it in his hand. "It feels... different. It's almost as if..." His eyes widened. "You want me to use you, don't you?" He felt the reply. "Then I'll do just that." He felt the Happiness from it. Hope looked at Jared. "Let's move. The sooner we see my father, the sooner we can move on."

Jared nodded, and the three walked out. "Kadeem, Seriune. We'll see each other again. Count on it." Hope said, with far more determination in his voice than before. Jared noted this, and figured that it was either Nue, or the fact it was something he was driving himself to help: his Partner.

When they left the Building, the sun was rising, and Jared brought the house back into the Shadow Vault. "Easy Packing, Travel Light." Jared smiled when he said that.

"I'll say. It helps when you're on the road a lot, doesn't it?" Lightning asked.

Jared nodded. "Sure does."

They started towards Palumpolum, and saw PSICOM everywhere. Air, ground, everywhere.

Hope, Lightning and Jared were hidden behind a few boxes. Jared spoke quietly. "Looks like Stealth is going to be the main point here."

"Looks like it." Lightning agreed. "Got any plans to get around this?"

"Just one." Jared said.

"I figured you'd have five." Hope pointed out.

"There's less troops, and more Automatons." Jared closed his eyes. "Hope, take Light and get her to your father's house. Hope, what's the Address?"

"It's in Felix Heights, 35-A. It's near the top floor. Why?"

"Because you're going to lead Lightning through the city to get there."

"What about you?"

Jared sent them a determined smirk. "I'm gonna give them hell from the Shadows." He looked out. "I refer to my title as the White Shadow. I can keep them busy long enough to..." he turned his head the direction they came. "Snow..."

"Where is he?" Lightning asked.

"He's pretty far, but he's in the air. At the current speed, it'll take 3 hours to get here."

"Last for 3 hours for him to get here?"

"Fang is with him. I'm still going on my own." Jared said. "As I was saying, I can keep them busy long enough for you two to get into a much less crowded place. I'll meet you guys at Hope's place. And don't worry about me." He started to sink into a shadow. "You should worry about those I target." Then he completely vanished.

Lightning and Hope looked at each other, and the back. "Alright, there's an entrance to the sewers not far from here. Adults don't know where it is. Only kids like me know. Ran into a few orphans down there too. For the most part, they were abandoned. They might help us, and PSICOM won't be asking kids for help."

"Neither will the GC." Lightning stated. "Looks like they're here too."

"We'll use the tunnel systems. They'll keep us hidden. I don't think we'll have to worry about Jared."

"Right."

Meanwhile, Jared was appearing in random shadows of the city. A Dark here, Blue bolt there, silenced shots everywhere. PSICOM was dropping like flies. He kept from using kill shots on the GC. He liked them, but always knocked them out in one hit. It was a good 3 hours before any messages came up, and he had taken out well over 120 PSICOM troops.

He was now watching over a stadium-like courtyard, where Lightning and Hope came up. They were surrounded. "Not good. They've really found us."

Jared was about to act, until

BOOM!

There was an explosion that grabbed everyone's attention. Jared then knew who it was. _'Snow... a hero always shows up in the niche of time, and kicks ass.'_ he thought. He decided to watch what snow was going to do, which was _exactly_ what he did in game. He summoned Shiva, covered the place in Ice, which then either knocked out or killed the soldiers there.

Then, like the clueless idiot he was, he jumped over a railing, and started riding the Shiva Bike, which Fang dropped onto with another gun.

At that, Jared grinned. He then threw a few Ruinga into the area, and took out even more troops, which drew Lightning's and Hope's attention. "He's here too?" Hope asked, somewhat surprised.

On one of the flying platforms, there was 2 PSICOM troops, and Colonel Rosch from PSICOM. He just glared at Snow, who was riding around on the Ice with his bike, while Fang shot down people. Then there were spells flying from everywhere. _'I thought we had them surrounded, but it was just a Diversion!'_ He thought.

One of the soldiers next to him was shot down, but then the other one went right afterwards, _before_ he heard another shot.

Said shot was from a Smirking Jared with a Dragunov Sniper Rifle from Call of Duty, who now had a Javelin on his right shoulder. "Time to take out a few aerial bastards." he said, locking on to some of the Flying Warships, before firing.

Lightning and Hope used the distraction, which they both knew was caused by a double front: Snow and the woman, and Jared from the shadows.

Every now and then, Jared sent a spell into a nearby Shadow, while he was about a mile away.

The clincher was when Lightning saw a Javelin missile hit one of the flying automaton. She saw it, but nobody else did, and it took out the Havoc Skytank in one shot. She smirked as she heard the shouts from Rosch.

"Find the L'cie! Take them out! It doesn't matter who's with them! Kill them all!" Rosch shouted into the microphone.

What he didn't know, is that a lot of people were watching him.

-Bodhum-

Amodar had gotten a Telepathic message from Jared a few hours ago. Apparently, the L'cie threat was going public soon. He had hacked a Channel, and rerouted the footage to be played elsewhere. Since NORA had come back to Bodhum with Purge Survivors, well over 50 of them, he gathered them all up, and turned on several Televisions to said Channel. The Civilians and NORA had seen what was going on fro the moment Lightning and Hope were spotted. They had already gotten word that everything they saw was the truth, and what really happened as if they were there.

They saw that there was a _lot_ of L'cie, and heard Rosch's command. That put some anger in them. "The Guardian Corps would never approve of these methods. PSICOM protects the Sanctum. Guardian Corps protects the people. We would never harm an Innocent and call them needed sacrifices. That's just Reckless Collateral Damage, and PSICOM doesn't care!" Amodar pounded his fist on a table.

"Hey, Lieutenant. How did you even know this station was hacked?" A big man with orange hair, Gadot, asked.

"One of the L'cie told me. He has been working for me unofficially, as a civilian. But I see what he's doing." Amodar said, as he realized it.

"Wait, you're in league with a L'cie?" One of the Civilians questioned.

"One of my subordinates is a L'cie. He's watching over _her_ at my request. L'cie or not doesn't matter. He and I share the same views. I respect him for that, and told me this was coming 13 days before it did. I'll be the first to admit I didn't believe him, but when it happened, I stopped doubting him. As such, I asked him for one favor for warning me of what was coming. Protect my subordinate from anyone who might harm her. She's a L'cie now, as well." He looked at the screen. "He told me there was a total of 7 L'cie out there, but two of them should be in Nautilus right now."

"Then why does it look like there's at least 50 L'cie there? Spells from all over, and all..." Gadot questioned.

"The work of one L'cie. Jared Shadowwind." Everyone knew that name. In the days before the Purge, he had gained quite the reputation as a powerful ally and the worst person to make your enemy. "He's also the one I asked to watch over my subordinate."

"You know how he's doing it?" A girl, Lebreau, asked.

"No, but I do know it's him."

Now the screens showed Rosch with several GC members.

"_This city is our jurisdiction! We're the ones that protect it. We should get a say in how it's done!" One of the GC soldiers stated._

_Rosch ignored the soldier. "Attention all Units. Ignore all fire zone restrictions. Fire at will."_

_The shock in the GC soldiers present was evident. One of them spoke up. "Even if Civilians get caught in the crossfire? They haven't completely evacuated yet!"_

"_It is necessary."_

"_You wanna start a war on the streets?!"_

"_You don't know what it's like out there!"_

_Rosch drew his sword and pointed it at them. "You don't understand why we're here."_

_Just then, Jared showed up, sitting on the vehicle, and spoke. "You know, Rosch, People are watching this." This earned all of their attention, and the GC pointed their guns at him, as Rosch turned the blade on him._

"_Who are you? And what do you mean?"_

"_In order, Jared Shadowwind, and I've hacked a few satellites to broadcast everything in this city, and send it through a single channel, which I also hacked. They also heard what you just said. And for those that probably don't understand the ramifications of the statement here's the jist of it: L'cie are to be killed. Anyone near a L'cie is to be killed. Man, woman, child, babies, it doesn't matter who they are. If they get in the way, it's their fault, and everyone here is to be killed. The troops right there don't like that, as the Collateral is unacceptable."_

"_It is necessary for the people's safety."_

_Jared chuckled. "You think all Pulse L'cie are bad, huh? What about someone who protected the Civilians _before_ the Purge? Former GC Sergeant Lightning Farron is a Pulse L'cie. Does that mean _she_ switched sides? Abandoned her home? Her family? What about Snow Villiers? He ran an organization alongside the GC in Bodhum. They protected Innocent people from Monsters. They put their lives on the line for their home, and the people in it. Do you think they'd change sides if it meant they had to kill everyone they held dear? Lightning could've joined PSICOM when she entered the Army. Why did she choose the GC?"_

"_That is..."_

"_Not my concern? Sorry, pal, you got nothing on me here. Lightning joined the GC and _not_ PSICOM, because of her Sister. The only family she had left. She quit the GC for her family. She's the type to put herself in the line of fire if it meant protect that which is precious to her. You think she would abandon her home to the wolves? You think she would kill _everyone_ that she protected? It's not the Civilians that are blind. It's the Sanctum. Sanctum wants to save its own hide. They fed all the Bullshit about Pulse to the civilians. And for what? An attack that will never happen due to the current state of Pulse? Pulse is uninhabited by anything even _resembling_ human life. All that's left are Fal'cie, wildlife, and broken down machines. No L'cie, no Humans, nothing of the like. Not since Ragnarok killed everyone all those years ago."_

"_And how do you know this?"_

"_Because before I came to Cocoon, I was sent to Pulse by the Maker. My home is not even in this _dimension_. What makes you think I'd lie when I saw the proof myself?"_

"_He's lying." One of the GC members stated. "He has to be!"_

"_I think he's telling the truth." Another member spoke._

"_If he was telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us." The first one retorted._

"_Unless of course you'd never believe the truth, even if he told you." Jared replied. "but the situation still stands, because we're being broadcast live to anyone watching it."_

Everyone saw and heard this. Amodar just blinked. "He told me the same thing..."

"_PSICOM is a bunch of idiots. They claim to be strong, but when the truly strong show up, they drop like flies. I mean, come on! Do you really think you could take on someone that blew up a God of Destruction in another world, _before_ he became a L'cie without a Focus?"_

He showed off his brand, which was completely open, and everyone watching gasped.

"_My brand was open the moment I was branded. It means I have no Focus. No Focus means no Ci'eth Clock. No Focus means no turning to crystal. My job is to stop the destruction of this world. The ones pulling the strings are Sanctum Fal'cie. Barthandelus, if you're watching this, you're on my hit list. The other one on said list: Orphan. Your plan would not only destroy Cocoon, but everyone on it. You want the Maker to start things over? Well, she sent me instead. Good luck taking on a Dimensional Guardian. You'll need it, motherfuckers." He then dissolved into the air, but before the head left he spoke again. "I'm not called the White Shadow for no reason."_

Amodar just stared, as did the Civilians. "he just called out two Fal'cie, didn't he?" Gadot asked.

"Yup, he did." Yuj, a blonde haired teen, replied. "Is he insane?"

"No... he's got the power. He's got the help. He can do it." Amodar stated.

"With what the Sanctum did, I think we should get them back." A civilian suggested.

"But how? We've got no support!"

"By supporting the L'cie." Gadot answered, crossing his arms. "Look, if the L'cie are helping him, then that means that they're going to help the world by taking out those that threaten it. If we support them, we're showing them that we can handle it. That we agree that the Sanctum has lost it's luster. That they're really only looking out for themselves. Anyone else is expendable." he looked at Amodar. "The Guardian Corps seems to agree with Jared's plan, from what I know of them."

"We do. No sacrifice is necessary. Anyone who says otherwise, we don't get along with. It's why PSICOM and the Corps don't get along. We follow the same man, but we have different ways of achieving the same order." He replied.

Gadot pumped a fist. "Snow's our leader. He's doing this to save the world, then we'll help him any way we can. NORA will support the L'cie, as our Leader is one."

The Civilians saw that they trusted their leader, and got up, each one claiming support of NORA. Gadot was smirking at Amodar now. "We got their support. Think you can let him know?"

Before the Reply, they all heard Jared's voice on the screen as it showed PSICOM shooting into Civilian lines now.

"_Lieutenant, I know you're watching this, and can hear me. Make sure the civilians wherever you're at live. If they want to fight, train them to fight. Bodhum should be abandoned, but you'd be able to find that out better than I can. If you find NORA, or NORA finds you, let them help. They'll want to back Snow, as he is a leader that has gained their respect. He helped them in their time of need, they'll want to return the favor. That is, if I have their mindsets right. Good luck, and if they help, make sure they do it right. Alright, everyone listen up." Jared now had his hand on his ear, and it showed. "Meet at the Rendezvous point. Lightning, Hope, you both know where it is. I'll be roaming. PSICOM is NOT going to get the civvies on my watch. If that means I have to kill them, then so be it. The Civilians have no part in what we're doing, so I'm gonna take out PSICOM who doesn't care if they get in the way or not."_

_Lightning's voice came over the screens. "What about you?"_

"_Don't worry about me. Worry about those I target. You saw what I'm capable of, Light. I've got Mars back, as well. Still Missing Venus, Dragoon and Wingly. I'm now at about 60% of my full strength. Venus comes back next, I'll reach 85%. Wingly comes next it'll be 65%. Dragoon comes back, it'll be 70%."_

"_Roger that." They heard a male voice._

"_Hey, bub! You don't think you'll letting them know too much, do ya?" This was a gruff female voice._

"_Fang, you're talking to someone that took on a God of Destruction and won. What do you think?"_

"_He's right. He got us this far. He helped us. Stopped Hope from going after Snow's life for his mother. After everything, he's got the most information out of all of us. As L'cie, we have a Focus. That focus is our guide. What we do with it is up to us!" They heard Lightning._

"_Right you are Light. Fang, Light, Hope, Snow, head to the Rendezvous point. I'll meet you there, and help the Civvies on the way. No way in hell am I gonna let the bastards take an unnecessary life just because they can't get their target. Shadow out."_

The people in the bar just looked at the screen, and then at Amodar. All of them asked NORA for the help. Amodar and NORA nodded. "We'll help you out. You want in, step up. We're heading to the Corps HQ. There's an armory there. It'll have the weapons you'll need." Amodar said, earning a nod from everyone present, and they left the bar heading to the HQ. Amodar then sent a silent message to Jared. _'Jared, you better be right.'_

Over in Palumpolum, Jared smirked. _'You're damn right I am.'_

00000x00000

Chapter complete!

Alright, some things you may want to know. Jared is effectively broadcasting everything that happens through a channel he managed to Hack into. It's being played in every city aside from Palumpolum. It was also shown in Nautilus, so Sazh and Vanille saw it.

Jared is also slowly getting his abilities back for a reason. His locked Abilities include:

Wingly Spells of the Wind and Lightning Elements

Dragoon Form and subsequent spells

Venus Branch of Psynergy and Cross-Psynergy that uses it

Together that makes up 40% of his abilities. And for the record:

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**

Dimensional Guardians are SUPPOSED to be severely OP. Even _I_ have to admit _that_. There are ways for them to lose their abilities, but since they can draw energy from _any_ source, they simply have to learn how to control it. One of the reasons they live so long, is because they _never_ reach their full potential, because they _don't have a maximum limit to their skills!_

They can adapt any DNA to their own, even non-human DNA. Blood Transfusion with a Species that they don't have in their blood will add the benefits to the Guardian, and sometimes the weaknesses as well. If a Benefit of one thing they have added to themselves, is a Weakness to something they just added, the Benefit is severely weakened, but the Weakness is gone.

Say, a Guardian adds a Water Elemental to their DNA, and then Vampire Blood from Rosario + Vampire. The Vampire blood will make it so he has a weakness to Water, but the Water Elemental would cancel out that Weakness, while weakening the affinity to Water, bringing it down to about 20% of the its original strength. It would take _at least_ a century of training the Water Element to get it back up to where it was, but the weakness of being hurt by Water will be nullified.

It also depends on the Abilities the Guardian has. If the Weakness added outweighs the Benefits already there, the Weakness will take hold, and the _benefit_ is gone.

For those of you who have read my stories, Demigod Sayian Vampire and Uzumaki Heritage, I will say this now: Shuuden Sol is a Dimensional Guardian in Theory. He is NOT an actual Guardian, because he does not have the DNA Adaptation ability. **ALL DIMENSIONAL GUARDIANS HAVE THIS ABILITY!**

It activates in random ways. Some ways, a Blood Transfusion would be all it takes. Sex, putting new flesh in, anything that has DNA in it can be added.

Some of you would also put this as an Attention chaser. This ability _can_ copy Bloodlines in the Naruto world, but _only_ if the donor IS NOT ENTIRELY HUMAN! If an Uchiha that has their Sharingan active is fully human, not counting the Sharingan or Chakra to use, NOTHING WILL BE ADDED TO A GUARDIAN WHO TAKES THEIR DNA!

However, if an Uchiha has an affair with, say a Werewolf, said abilities will pass over into the child, and then the abilities can be added, but THE ABILITIES WILL ONLY BE ADDED IF THE GUARDIAN DOES NOT HAVE WEREWOLF DNA IN THEM ALREADY!

If you want to know why Dimensional Guardians are so OP it's because **THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TAKE OUT THE GODS THAT DEFY THE RULES ENOUGH TO DISRUPT THE BALANCE OF THE WORLDS!**

That's why one was called into Endiness in Book 1.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	7. Chapter 7

Alright, if you didn't read the Ending note in the last chapter GO BACK A CHAPTER AND READ IT!

OH, and there is one more thing. An OC comes in in this chapter. I do NOT own the new OC, nor do I own his weapon: Mortal Edge. If you want a picture of Mortal Edge here's the link:

(1) rinsoevrest. Deviantart art/Mort al-Edge-3 43820553

**Chapter 7**

Jared was standing next a man as the sun was setting. He had a Javelin on his shoulder. "So, Bartholomew, Hope is your son?"

"Yes, but why do you have that gun?" The man asked.

"Because I've been taking out PSICOM Aerial units with it and several others." Jared replied.

"Can you see my son with that?" He asked.

"Of course. I can see him without it too." Jared then narrowed his eyes. "Damn. Missed one earlier. Ushmal Subjugator."

"Where?" The man asked.

Jared pulled a pair of Binoculars and tossed them to the man, and pointed to a plaza nearby. "Hope's right there. I'll target the Subjugator."

"Who's the Blonde?"

"That's Snow. Resident of Bodhum."

"He looks hurt. A few broken ribs, it seems." The man said. "Wait, is that thing... Hope!"

"Trying to lock on!" Jared retorted.

Then, Bartholomew saw two others rush in and try to help Hope. "Pink hair, and a Gunblade, Black hair and a Lance."

"Fang and Lightning."

Jared heard the beep. "Locked on!" _'Light! Get Hope and Snow AWAY from that thing!'_ Before she could reply, he sent an explanation in two words. _'JAVELIN FIRED!'_

Bartholomew saw the Pink haired woman's eyes widen, before she grabbed Hope, and pushed him back, as the one with the Lance put up a Bright blue aura before the missile hit the being and took it down in one hit.

Down in the Plaza Fang was coughing away the smoke. "What the hell was _that_?!" She questioned, before looking at Lightning. "You knew it was coming, didn't you?"

"Not enough time to warn when I found out as it was fired." She admitted. "Long story short, Jared fired that, and warned me the moment it locked on."

"Dear Maker..." Fang shook her head, before looking at Snow. "Come on. Let's get him to the Rendezvous Point. Hopefully, we'll see Jared there."

Jared looked at the man beside him. "Let's head inside Bartholomew. We'll wait for Hope and the others to get here. PSICOM is trying to regroup. We took out quite a large number of them, and the GC was missing some of us on purpose."

The man nodded in response. "I thank you for helping my son get home." The man said. "With his mother gone... He's all I have left. I don't want to lose him too."

"Did you know the truth of the Purge already?"

"The moment they announced it I knew. I was dreading Nora's death, and it happened. I just don't know how."

Jared had his Binoculars with him already, and it wasn't long before the group of 4 L'cie came to the door. Hope rang the bell, and Bartholomew answered it, and ushered him in, along with silently signaling the others to come in as well.

Night had fallen, and no one had found them yet.

Apparently, Jared launched the Javelin from the building they were now in. Jared gave Hope and his father some time, and had the others do the same. When asked why, he simply said, "It's a father thing. You girls wouldn't understand." Lightning left it at that and gave them some space, while Fang decided to listen anyway. She heard what Hope had told his father.

Bartholomew was quiet for a moment, before Hope got up. "We'll rest up. We'll leave you as soon as we can."

Bartholomew slammed his fist on the table. "You're my son. This is your home."

"If they find out you're Sheltering L'cie, they'll kill you."

"Hope... Find Jared, and bring him in here. I need to talk to you both alone."

"Huh? Jared too?" Hope was confused.

"Please. It's important. Something... It's something you mother _didn't_ know about me. Something that passed on to you, as well. I need to confirm something with him, and you need to be present for it as well."

Just then, Jared walked into the room. "Snow's gonna make a faster recovery than he should. Man am I glad I kept Vital Boon." He said, before looking at the two. "So you know, even at Snow's side, I was able to hear every word that was said, though I tried to give you both some space." He turned his head slightly. "Fang, head to Lightning and watch over Snow. This is _not_ something you need to hear." Jared sat in the chair that Hope was in earlier, while Hope sat on the couch next to his father. "So, what did you want to confirm?"

"Are you a Dimensional Guardian?" This had Jared narrow his eyes.

"How did you know?"

"That Rocket Launcher is not Cocoon or Pulse tech, to my knowledge. I'm a business man, and I know of all weapons in the trade, all items that would be sold, everything. It's how I gain _my_ knowledge and use it. After all... I'm one myself."

Jared's eyes widened, as did Hope's. "Dad... You..."

"I didn't tell your mother Hope, because I sealed off my abilities years ago. I tried to hide from my own duties."

Jared then made the connection. "That's why I didn't feel them from you. You sealed them off, so I couldn't sense them. Genius... I didn't even know that was possible."

"It is if you know what you're doing." Bartholomew showed off a small bruise on his upper back. "This mark is what keeps my abilities at bay. When Hope was born, I felt it in him. I had to seal his abilities as a Guardian off too. That way, he'd never be able to use them. He has them in him, they're just sealed off."

Jared looked at Hope. "But then... Wait, if his abilities as a guardian were sealed, then that means..."

"That's why he has a Focus as L'cie. Any Guardian can remove it just by Force Activating the Guardian abilities, or flat out destroying it." Bartholomew explained. "Hope... With what's going on, I leave the decision to you. Do you want the Lock off, or not? If I take it off right now, you'll gain the abilities. But if you go... You'll have to be trained by him. I'm keeping my status as a Guardian hidden as long as I can. The fact that Nora died... I don't like it, but I have to accept it. It's a part of being a Guardian."

Hope was in shock, and it showed. "Dad... You were... But then..." He hung his head and sighed. "Please. Unlock it. I'm going to do this. I'm going to follow Jared's plan, Insane as it is."

Bartholomew sighed in response. "Hope... Insanity is our way of life. It's a part of the Job description. What matters for us, is not whether or not we're Insane. It's how we manage the Insanity. But I have to ask again. Are you sure you want it off?"

"Yes, dad. I am." Bartholomew sighed, held out his hand, mumbled a few words that only Jared could hear, and then a major Power surged inside of Hope, causing him to pass out. His father caught him. "He'll be out of it for about 2 hours. Maybe more. Hopefully PSICOM doesn't find you guys here before he does." he picked Hope up, and Jared followed them both to the room Snow was in. Jared used Vital Boon again, and his ribs were healing much quicker than they should.

"He's too stubborn to die, isn't he?" Bartholomew asked, earning a round of nods from those conscious.

It was a few hours later that Hope was awake, as was Snow, who was fully healed thanks to Jared and Bartholomew, who let some of his abilities slip through for the job only. Now, they were all in the Living Room. Hope and Bartholomew were on the Couch, Jared was leaning against the wall, Fang was in a Chair, as was Lightning.

The first thing said was by Snow, who immediately got down on his knees. "It's my fault. I couldn't save her."

Bartholomew held his head and sighed. Hope spoke up. "If it wasn't for Snow I wouldn't be here right now."

"I know that." Bartholomew looked at Snow. "Snow... Did she say anything to you?"

"Hope... She said to get him home." Snow replied, his head still down.

Bartholomew looked at Hope, who nodded. "And that's exactly what you've done." he said, looking at Snow. This actually surprised them both, sent relief through the others present, minus Jared who knew what he was thinking. "Face to face like this it's hard to believe you're all Dangerous Fugitives." Lightning sat down. "But the entire world is scared to death of L'cie. No... People you know, people you've bumped into... sometimes, it's even people that walk by you. Tainted with the curse of Pulse. They want all of them to be purged."

"The Sanctum's a Puppet of the Fal'cie!" Snow interjected, but then stopped when he saw the smirk on the man's face, which mirrored the one on Jared's.

"That would be the case, had I not shown what PSICOM was doing today and broadcast it all over Cocoon." This sent surprise into everyone present, aside from Bartholomew. "At this point, the Public view is split. Is the Sanctum truly right, and Pulse is a bad thing to be around? Or is the Sanctum wrong, and the L'cie are doing what has to be done for people to progress? With the broadcast I set up, Cocoon will be Divided at the seams. Some people don't trust the Sanctum anymore. I mean, even the GC, who didn't like PSICOM in the first place, are starting to plan a few revolts. Capturing what Rosch told the men to do and broadcasting _that_, then explaining what he said... let's just say the Civilian views are now divided. Right now, said Channel is taking from my Datalog, and broadcasting what truly happened in the Bodhum Purge. Those who fought back, those who didn't, it was all a massacre. The Sanctum is losing support."

"Wait, you did all that?"

"Yeah. What's more is, I checked the Military Database. They're wondering how over 50 L'cie got into one area so quickly, without being noticed by the 4,000+ soldiers in the city." Jared chuckled. "Seriously, The Shadows are more powerful than even a L'cie if you know how to use them properly."

Bartholomew echoed his chuckle. "Yes, that was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"I think the word for this is Epic." Jared replied.

Bartholomew nodded at that, as did Hope. "Anyway, what you're doing is taking down the Sanctum. How do you even know it'll work?" Bartholomew questioned.

"When it comes to Jared and planning, you don't question it." Lightning replied.

"Yeah. I've seen it firsthand. He's crazy, and Insane. That much is true. But... Even through all that, his plans are effectively fool proof."

Everyone looked at Jared, even Snow. "What? You expect me to take down my target without a plan? Seriously, I've had a plan from the beginning. The Sanctum has to lose Civilian support. With that in the works already, we could just wait it out, but that wouldn't be easy. Plus, we still have two more L'cie to get. They went to Nautilus, and probably saw the footage of what PSICOM was doing to the civilians here in Palumpolum. They saw me defending them, they heard what Snow did in that group before PSICOM fired on the area 3 seconds later, and then some. We get the others and find our way to Gran Pulse. Wait things out, train, the works. Cocoon will weaken the Sanctum, not us. When that happens, and we get a ride back, which I'm sure will happen, we charge in, and take out the major target: Orphan. Barthandelus is probably gonna be there too."

Bartholomew nodded at him. "That _is_ a better plan. Wipe out the trust of the Sanctum, and then take down the ring leaders. Jared, I want to ask one thing of you." He made an AK-47 with a Red dot Laser sight and a Grenade Launcher appear in his hands. "Train Hope. Protect him. Make sure he knows what he's gotten himself into. I'm counting on you, as a fellow Dimensional Guardian and Father, to lead him down the right path, and train him to use the abilities he has. If I'm going to get involved, I might as well go all the way, and use _all_ of my abilities." He smirked. "I'll leave your targets to you and your group."

"Elements?" Jared asked.

"Earth, Lightning and Darkness in that order. You?"

"Wind, Dark and Lightning in that order." Jared replied.

"Hmm... I figure that, as a L'cie, your Natural Elements will come first when it comes to spells. Would you agree?" Bartholomew asked, earning a nod. "The only one that doesn't seem to follow that route is Snow, whose spells tend to follow his name. Fang doesn't have Ravager, but if she did, I'm pretty sure the same concept would apply. Lightning, it's a fact. I figured that out personally." He looked at Hope. "Your son is a Natural Mage. Offensive, Support, Healing, the works."

"The same can be said about Vanille." Fang admitted. "I'm pretty sure that, as a Ravager, she's far more proficient than I am. Same with Saboteur and Medic. I'm a fighter. Not a healer."

Jared nodded. "I have access to Commando, mastered, Ravager, still building, Synergist, Mastered, and Sentinel, also Mastered. I've gained quite a bit here, after all."

Jared then felt the pulse of power from Bartholomew, which was then severely suppressed. "I guess I should start going by my real name. The one I used as a Guardian, before I become Bartholomew Estheim." he stood up, and walked over to a wall, and opened up a section, which Hope had never known about. "This is my preferred weapon, asshole he is. His name is Mortal Edge(1)." he pulled out a sword, that didn't really look like a sword. "I call him Mort, from time to time. I can handle myself, but if I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna make it look like it was my idea." He had a smirk on his face. "My real name... Is Tsuba Tanto."

The sword in his hand was 6 feet long, 1 foot 6 inches wide, and looked like the serrated Fang of an unidentified Monster. Not even Jared could figure it out. "Mind if I call you Tanto, then?" Jared asked, before the lights went out.

Jared closed his eyes, as did Bartholomew, or Tanto. Jared vanished quickly. Everyone else was on guard. Smoke caps came through the ceiling. "Heads up!" Light shouted, as the grenades went off releasing the smoke. No one noticed the shine over Tanto's form.

When he was revealed, he had spiky dark red hair, his eyes were yellow and more like a wolf, with a scar going don the bridge of the nose. His body was built like a Martial Artist, buff but not overly so. His suit, tie, and glasses were replaced by a black muscle shirt which hugged his form, having white and gray flames on bottom edge, a black long-sleeved undershirt, and black pants in the same color scheme.

PSICOM had entered the place, but was torn to shreds before the reached the ground. Jared then sent out a small pulse of wind, to clear away the smoke. "Come on." He told them, before they got out of sight.

It wasn't long until they started to shoot through the windows. Jared met Snow's eyes, and he nodded. Snow was next to the window, knowing what was going to happen. He held out his Cloak, which was then shot through. "You want to see a L'cie? I'll show you a L'cie!" He shouted, as they Soldiers stopped firing. He walked past one window and was in full view of the second. He had no bandage on him, being fully healed thanks to Jared and Tanto.

He stepped through the destroyed window. "What? Surprised? Shocked that I'm made of Flesh and Blood like all of you?" He questioned them.

The soldiers started talking amongst themselves. He caught them saying he was lying. "Why bother lying, when you won't believe the truth?" Snow asked.

Jared blinked, and looked at Hope's father. "He got that line from me."

"You got that line from Sparrow."

"You know him?"

"He's a Guardian. Of _course_ I know him. Captain Jack Sparrow. His absurd luck can't be found anywhere _but_ the Guardians. Not even _gods_ have his luck."

"Good to know." Jared replied, before looking out again.

Rosch showed up. "So, where is the Shadowwind? He knows who he is. But he's been a thorn in PSICOM's paw for too long. He'd be executed anyway."

Jared smirked, before phasing out. Tsuba raised an eyebrow, and did the same, appearing on the other side, and seeing Jared on the roof nearby, his legs crossed, and him sitting on the edge as if he had no care in the world.

"Yaag Rosch. Colonel, right?" Rosch looked at Jared.

"There you are."

"You do realize that everything that happened was broadcast to all of Cocoon, right? And right now, footage of what happened during the Bodhum Purge is being broadcast, too."

"You target Sanctum Fal'cie, and you're trying to lecture me?" Apparently, Rosch didn't get it.

"Sorry, Rosch, but I have a job to do. Can't die until I'm done. Besides, I'm only doing this for the abilities I get from it. Gotta save my own family from a threat they can't handle. You'd do the same in my position. What you've been trying to do is quell the Panic. Let me tell ya, it won't work. You've got a Chaotic Wild Card in the game. With this, nothing is certain. There are also 3 of this card. Only one has revealed itself."

"You are a threat to Cocoon's safety. Ready."

Jared waved his hand, and each of the men fell down, snoring. "I so dislike violence, but sometimes it _is_ necessary."

Rosch looked at his men behind him, and saw that they were all prone. "This is not one of those times."

Rosch looked back at Jared, as did Snow. "When could you do _that_?" Snow asked.

"Eh... 27 years. Give or take." Jared shrugged. "Seriously, I could kill anyone without them knowing." A M9 Handgun appeared in his right hand. "Sadly, this is the end." Jared was instantly right in front of him, the gun pointed at his face. Rosch hid his fear highly well, but when Jared pulled the trigger with a deadly serious face...

Confetti flew and a flag came out that said BANG! Jared started laughing like a Maniac. He was holding his gut now, laughing like... Like Joker when he pulls a grand prank on Batman.

Tsuba just shook his head. "Shadowwind to the end." More smoke came through, and Jared was now on a higher platform, still laughing.

The group of L'cie came out, and got ready for a fight, but apparently, the incoming Vessel was a friendly, as it opened up and Fang recognized someone that came out as Rosch was unconscious. Jared stopped laughing enough and jumped down. "Fang, you need a lift?"

"Don't get cute." Fang replied, as the group of L'cie started to board, as did Jared. "Hey Shadow!"

Jared looked at Tsuba. "Yeah?"

"Take care of my son."

"Didn't have to ask." Jared smiled and got on board.

The man that came off the ship looked at Tsuba. "You're a L'cie. You get on too."

Tsuba smirked. "Don't think everyone with out of the ordinary powers are L'cie." The man sunk into the ground, and vanished. The Soldier blinked and got back on board.

The ship left quickly. Jared found a pillar and sat down, back to it, crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He fell asleep quickly. It wasn't long before _he_ vanished leaving nothing more than a Shadow.

Some people started looking for him, but Lightning was the one to find him... after 3 hours of Searching for everyone. What she did was stare at the spot he sat down in for 20 seconds. "Found him." he told the others, who then came to her location. "Where?"

She pointed at the base of the Pillar. "You gone mad, girl?" Fang questioned.

"He's in his Shadow Vault, isn't he?" Hope asked.

"That's my guess." Lightning replied.

"Lightning, what are you..." Snow trailed off when he saw her face. It said "Don't ask."

"Alright, what do you know that I don't?" Fang asked.

"He hasn't told you about the Shadow Vault yet, so I'm not surprised. He's got a house in there. Very comfy, I might add." Lightning admitted. "In said house, he's got 21 Silver Lobos from the Gapra Whitewood. One of them actually marked me, another marked Hope. Jared's keeping them safe for now. He's also got another Wolf in their. That wolf is his partner, but I think he has another somewhere." The shadow then moved slightly, only to stop in front of Light, and Jared came out of it slowly, before he stretched. He was back in his Half-Platemail Crimson Armor. "Hey. What's up?"

"You went missing." Fang said. "Why didn't you say you could go into your own Shadow?"

Jared scratched the back of his neck. "Fang... Thought you knew. Light and Hope have seen me do it too, so I thought they'd tell you if you didn't say anything."

The three blinked a few times. Lightning then palmed her face. "And to think it took me 20 seconds of staring at one spot to figure out you were there." She sighed, as her hand left her face. She then glared at him. "Talking to Chris?"

"Kadeem and Seriune too." Jared replied. "They're both happy you're alright. They found the Training Void somehow. Don't ask me how, but they did."

Lightning's eyes widened. "Seriune was training, right?" Jared nodded. "That's why... Hope, did you go into the Crystarium since we left them in the house?"

"Not really, why?"

"Do it. Mine was increasing _while_ we were resting at your father's." Lightning replied. Hope's eyes widened, before closing them, blanking out, and checking it. "My god..." His eyes opened up. "That was more CP than I got all throughout the Gapra Whitewood! And We got all that yesterday?"

"Looks like when they train, we get the Experience too." Light told him.

"Makes sense." Jared replied. "They train themselves, you get some of the experience because you're linked to each other. Your stats will also increase theirs by a certain Proportion. I don't know the Proportion, so don't ask. It's a benefit of mutual exchange, I believe."

They all nodded. "So, what's going to happen next?" Snow asked.

"Hope, we never did talk about your knowledge on Pokemon, did we?"

Hope blinked. "No, we didn't. How did you even know about Pokemon, though? I mean, it stopped being shown a few years ago." He pulled out his Datalog, surprising the others. "I had all the episodes shown on here, and information on every Pokemon known in Cocoon. All 151."

"Wait, back up? 151?"

Hope nodded. "That's all there is, right?"

"Uh..." Jared took out his Datalog, and sent Data to Hope's Datalog, which he then looked at. "Look at that information. Information on 649 Pokemon, but I know far more on the first 493 on that list. I kind of looked online for those back home. Still... Most people think that I'd either be a Ditto, Vulpix, or Lucario. Honestly, I'd have to say I'd be more like a Lucario than any other Pokemon I know well enough. You don't piss me off, you're safe. Stay on my good side, I won't hurt you... or blow you the fuck up."

Hope went through it all, and finally Found Lucario. "My god..." He looked at Jared. "You gave me more information than I'd ever have here." Then a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, is it possible for me to go into the World of Pokemon?"

"Of course. I might go there myself one day. Catch a few Pokemon, Life Partners, whatever you want to call them. Besides, I've got another Partner that you guys haven't met. His name is Paku, and he's my Vassal Dragon. It's a fancy way of saying Dragon Partner. He's like Kadeem and Seriune for you two."

Hope and Lightning nodded. Just then, a broadcast appeared, saying they captured two Pulse L'cie, and are taking them to the city of Eden, where they will be publicly Executed. It also said that Primarch Galenth Dysley is there as well, putting himself at Risk. It then showed a poll from the Public, which showed that the Populace is divided in the event another Purge is to happen. They showed parts of the footage of L'cie protecting others in Palumpolum, footage of Rosch, and more.

Apparently, reports said that no members of the GC died, while members of PSICOM were killed. Automatons were decimated, and a few went missing. Jared smirked at the ones that went missing. Lightning looked at Jared. "Velocycles?"

"Velocycles."

"How many?"

"7 in Palumpolum alone. Like I said, I'm taking the Velocycles for later use." Jared told her.

"Taking Sanctum machinery would normally be something I'm not for." They heard Raines say.

They looked at him. "Where were you hiding?"

"I was sleeping in my Shadow Vault. I was tired. Sue me." Jared replied, before looking at the screen that was showing the news. "So, they set a trap for us."

"Since they went to the trouble of setting it, why not go and blow it up?" Snow questioned, pounding his fists together.

"The trap or the ship?" Jared asked.

"Trap first, ship after we're done." Was the blonde's reply.

Jared held out a hand. "I'm with you there. I'll blow it up after we leave. They've got Sazh and Vanille. Let's get them, get out, and blow the Palamecia to Kingdom Come." Snow gripped it and had a few volts running through his system.

Jared just grinned like a loon at that, while Snow was twitching. "Snow... Didn't you see what I did to Rosch?"

He groaned. "Did you have to do that?" Raines questioned.

"Better get it out of my system now. How long do we have until we reach the Palamecia?"

"3 hours. You'll be taking that." Raines pointed at the nearby PSICOM airship. "It'll take you to the Palamecia's loading dock. From there on, you're on your own. Sanctum is losing their support, both Military and Civilians. You look like you want to topple the Sanctum, but you don't want the Civvies to get involved."

"The Civilians are not a part of what we want. Besides, I told Rosch what my goal is: Take out the ones that are trying to destroy this world, thus causing more worlds to collapse. If I don't stop them, I failed. I needed people that had a reason to fight for this world, and The Maker, my employer, was planning it before I even asked. The Maker asked Anima for help on this. Anima is the only Fal'cie aware of the Maker's involvement. And he's the one that branded all of us. Unless Fang and Vanille were branded by another Pulse Fal'cie, then it's clear. If you want to help me out, I'm going to help you out. Hope, I've already promised your father that I would train you, and I will. I'm a Guardian. You're a Guardian. I'll teach you what you need to know."

Jared looked at Raines. "You got the schematics for every weapon the Sanctum Military uses?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"We could use them." he looked at Hope, and draw Reaper. "Visualize a picture of Reaper in your mind. Will it to appear in your hand. Forget about abilities for a second, and focus on how it looks."

A Perfect replica of Reaper appeared in Hope's hand. Lightning took that moment to punch the thing, making it shatter to pieces, and fade. Hope's eyes widen as it was destroyed. "How...?"

"Because you don't know the specifics of Reaper that everyone else would ignore. Materials, how those Materials would act, enchantments, the fact that he's Sentient, all that information is necessary for this ability. Got it memorized?"

Hope blinked and then nodded. "I think so. You mean that if I want to actually use this ability properly, then I'd need every bit of information on how something works, right? Right down to the core?"

"Yup. You need all information on how it works, the materials, how the materials act, everything. Physicists would have a field day to know what I do, and make some of the elements I know of a reality. Ones of the reasons I took up Black smithing as a hobby. I know the materials, and I have the knowledge to make nearly anything. I simply used my knowledge to the utmost. Your father's a salesman, because it fits the lifestyle of a Guardian. Your birth name is Hope Estheim. Your father's birth name, not even I know. But Jared Shadowwind is not my birth name. I've gone by Jared since I was 8. But I didn't have Shadowwind as a surname until I was 22. Guardians are different, so I couldn't tell you what to name yourself should you choose that route."

Hope nodded, as they got on the ship. Jared had sent a Telepathic Message to Paku, saying to find a large amount of Metal Ships in the Skies of Cocoon. He'd be there in 3 hours, and something tells him he'll need some help.

The ride was pretty quick, and Paku was already hiding himself from the Sanctum Sky fleet, while keeping them in sight. Jared noticed him the moment they tried to contact the guys. They ended up at the Cargo bay, and went through. "They want to kill our friends, they'll have to go through us." Lightning drew Blaze Omega.

They went though every PSICOM unit they came across, who were trying to kill them. Jared mostly held back, but in large groups of enemies, he made an RPG-7 appear, and fired it at them.

During the trip, Hope was mostly silent, going over the information on Guns that Jared gave him. It was mostly Big Bang shit: Rocket Launchers, Anti-Air Missiles, and the Radar Missiles that Hope recognized, those kinds of things.

Hope managed to make one Rocket Launcher that PSICOM uses, and fired a single round into a group, taking them all out. Jared gave a thumbs up.

They were now in a hall. _Attention all Crew. Code Green, repeat, Code Green. Security Forces Standby, Hostile forces on Board. Code Green._

"Looks like they know we're here." Jared said.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Fang retorted.

"Captain Obvious never boarded this ship." Was Jared's answer to that, which caused her to blink.

He showed himself, Reaper in his right hand, Cerberus in his left. "Get in our way. You die. Lets us through, and you live. Your choice." 19 PSICOM troops pointed their weapons at him. "Too bad." he waved his hand, and all of them were stuck in Ice, before Hope called out a Spell. "Fira!"

"Aeroga!" Jared called out, and both spells collided making a large explosion decimating everyone frozen.

"Aeroga?" Light asked.

"Tier 3 wind." Jared.

They left it at that, and continued. Jared mainly used Reaper to bisect them, Hope threw Nue and cast some spells before catching and firing another spell. Fang was stabbing them with her Lance, sometimes the ground before kicking them. "You're pretty good with a Lance." Jared commented after the Third Wave.

"You knew that before. You're saying it now?"

"First time I see it person."

"No surprise, Mate."

Jared then sheathed Reaper, and the Jade Dragoon Lance was in his hand. "Let's see who gets more in the next wave, eh?" he asked, pointing his Lance at the Incoming PSICOM.

"Fine by me." Jared stabbed a few, slashed a bit, and even jumped before coming down. He was no master, but he was still taking them down with ease.

Lightning, hope, and Snow watched as the two duked it out without touching each other. "15, 16, 17..."

Three more passed him. "That makes 18, Mate."

Jared got another two in one stab. "19."

Fang got one more, and there was one left. They both had 19, so they looked at each other then the last one. "Kill shot wins?"

"Agreed." They both charged, and Jared got the guy in the Heart, while Fang had the Right Lung.

"Jared won that one." Lightning said. "Now come on. Let's move."

They both nodded, though Fang huffed.

It wasn't long until something else was called. _Code Purple. Repeat, Code Purple. Security Breach! All units on Alert! Code Purple!_

They all took notice of this. "Looks like they broke out." Jared commented.

"Vanille..." Fang whispered. _'I'm coming Vanille. Wait for me."_ It took them a while, but they managed to bust through a wall, and got onto what Jared described as the Weather Deck.

As they got out there, Hope spoke. "The Wind. It's dying down."

"Yeah, it's stopping. And we're decelerating. They up to something?" Light crossed her arms.

"It's more than that." Jared said. "They want to kill us, but they're not doing it right."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I were them, I'd speed up, not slow down." Jared admitted. "Speed up enough, and the Wind will knock us off the ship. Sure, we might be able to survive, I know I would, but they don't know that for sure."

"Shouldn't we call this Good luck?" Snow asked.

Some compartments opened and an array of Vespid Soldiers came up. "I'm thinking that's more bad luck." Fang pointed out.

"That, we can actually do something about." Lightning pointed out.

They then went through the area, and took out Vespid Soldiers, PSICOM Dragoons, which Jared scoffed at when he used Libra on them. "These anything like your Dragoons?" Lightning asked as they were going up some stairs.

"Hell no. Those guys were weak as hell. They could _never_ match a true Dragon Knight." Jared was a little ticked off at the casual usage of the Dragoon name.

However, it wasn't long until a large Bird, which Jared identified as a Kalavinka Striker, came up to them. "Kalavinka Striker, Weak to Lightning, Halves Wind and Physical Attacks. Use spells! Fang, if you got slow, use it!"

"Right!" The fight went a lot quicker than it should have. Lightning and Snow were surprised at the ease of it all, although the Aeroga/Fira Combination dealt a lot more damage than it was supposed to. It really only took 6 minutes to take it down, which was slightly surprising. However, another one came up to the area, and flew off.

"Tease us, will ya?" Fang taunted.

"Come down here!" Jared didn't comment, but turned to the wall, right before an explosion.

The first one through the smoke was a baby Chocobo. Jared smirked. Next was Vanille, and then Sazh. Fang was the first to speak. "Vanille!"

Vanille, who was coughing, noticed her. "Fang!" They ran to each other, and hugged.

"There you are." Snow started.

Sazh spoke. "You miss me?"

"Not you the monster!" Was Snow's retort, causing Sazh to turn. "Where?"

Before any of them could strike, 8 Purple beams came in and pierced its hide, causing it to fall to the deck. Jared smirked, and looked out. "About time!"

**Sorry, but I was a bit busy.** Another Monster came up to them, but it was no ordinary monster. Jared ran up to it as it landed on the deck, but the rest weren't as welcoming.

This dragon had Dark blue scales over the majority of its body. There is a single fin on the underside, of an even darker shade than the majority of the body, and it extended into a tail.

There was a total of 4 wings on the top of the main body, which was in a shape similar to a B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber, though the wings there were flapping, with 2 hind legs on the rocks just below the lower fin, which was pointing backwards after a steep curve, and was thick width wise, about 1 foot wide. The main wingspan was about 24 feet 8 inches.

The neck was scaled similar to scale mail, one scale over the next. The neck reaches 6 feet fully outstretched.

The head extended another 19 inches neck to snout, sporting 6 horns, 7 inches each, on the back of the head, going over the neck, fanned out like a Peacock. There was another, differently shaped horn, on the tip of the snout, measuring about 9 inches long, looking similar to a Lightning bolt in a Blood Red, bordering on crimson, color. Each of the other horns are the same color as the scales, only a slightly lighter shade.

There was a larger air of arms just below the base of the neck, measuring at 6 feet 11 inches each.

Aside from the two larger wings spanning 24 feet 8 inches, the four smaller wings a positioned in a square formation, each one as if they were large webbed hands, going out 10 feet from the point of contact, or a Dark Purple.

The eyes were actually a Sea Green, with a snake-like slit, spanning 5 inches. From front to back. The teeth were grating, and obviously sharp.

The two larger wings also had 4 cannons each on the edge of them, making a total of 8.

Jared turned to the rest, and Lightning paused at the smile he had on his face. "You know this thing?"

"Yup! This is Paku." he looked back at the Dragon. "So, how's Pulse been since I was gone?"

**Boring. Nothing can match me.** Paku replied.

"Eh, I'm not surprised. I mean, you and I used to spar all the time. I know you're strong."

**Oh yeah! I brought some friends too!** Two more came from over the top of the Palamecia, which Fang recognized.

"Looks like we got a Miracle on our hands. Gran Pulse Style! Vanille?"

The two separated, and Fang pointed. "Go fish."

"Got it!" It charged up, and fired a Hellstorm Bolt, which went right between them. Vanille, who had her Binding Rod out, swung it and it caught on. "Fang!"

Fang jumped and came down, her Lance hitting the base of the neck. **You know, you could've asked.**

"That's a good girl." Fang waved the others over.

Jared grabbed Light's wrist and pulled her over to Paku. "You're riding with me."

"Aren't you..." She saw the Dragon, and he got on the neck. "Get on." He held out a hand, which she took, and got on the neck as well, before wrapping his arms around his waist. "Let's ride!" Jared shouted, as Paku took off. Paku went towards another of the airships and Jared fired Cerberus, destroying a few of them, while Fang and the others hit above the Bridge of the Palamecia. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, go into the Bridge of the Palamecia?" She asked.

"True as that is, I'm weakening PSICOM first. Use Ruin on the Engines. Make them crash." He put Cerberus away and used Ruinga on the larger ones, always targeting the Engines, before part of the Palamecia blew up, and showed the bridge. "Paku!"

**Right!** Paku went towards where the Bridge was revealed.

"Jump!" Jared and Lightning jumped off, and landed into the bridge right next to the others, and Paku went over. "Paku! Head back to Pulse! Tear shit up!"

**I'd do that anyway. What about you?**

"I'll be fine. You know me."

**That's exactly why I asked.**

Paku flew off. "That was a strange Eidolon, young man." A man said. He was wearing white, blue and gold robes, held a staff in his hand, and had a Golden Jeweled Crown with a Veil

"May not be as old as you, but I'm the second oldest here, Dysley." Jared retorted. "Either way, the Sanctum must be stopped." He drew Reaper. "Unless you have a counter?"

"Well, as I was telling them, what can mere mortals do?" Dysley repeated. "Without the Sanctum's guidance, death is all you are capable of. You saw the fools. Drunk on fear of a few L'cie."

"You didn't see the broadcast, did you?" Jared questioned. "If you had... well, I'd leave that to you. Some are actually _supporting_ Pulse L'cie."

"But what would they say if a L'cie was the one filling their glasses?!" Fang pointed her lance at the Primarch.

"L'cie?" Dysley chuckled. "You mean me?" Dysley put a hand on his chest. "No." A silver Owl charged into the raising staff. "I am much more than that!"

There was a flash, and Dysley had changed into a form all but Snow and Fang recognized. Jared had shown them the footage of the game, but they didn't think it was true. Lightning glanced at Jared, Blaze Omega in hand, pointed at the being.

"_I am Fal'cie. My name is Barthandelus, Lord Sovereign of the Sanctum Fal'cie. You humans feared the darkness, so we gave you the light. You begged us for the purge, and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn our counsel, you must learn your place!"_

"I know this guy highly well! Take out the armor on the sides! Each head controls a piece and an Element. From left to right, Fire, Lightning, Ice, then Water. Each one has the element they control! Use the weakness of said element! You've got the knowledge, use it! Fang, Vanille! Debuff the armor! Sazh, Hope buff everyone up! Then go on the attack!"

"Right!" Vanille and Fang started with Defaith, Deprotect and Deshell, then went with Slow.

Jared sent a few grenades out, which poisoned them all.

Hope and Sazh buffed everyone up with Brave, Faith, Protect and Shell. Jared beat them with Veil and Hastega.

Lightning and Snow went on the offensive immediately. Once the debuffs were up, Fang and Vanille went for the attack, as did Sazh and Hope when they finished the buffs. The right Pauldron and Right Ailette went down within 3 minutes, with Hope, Lightning and Jared dealing the most damage. The other two went from using Blizzard and Water to Blizzara and Watera. No stats were increased, but Hope restarted the buffs, aside from Haste.

Jared, Lightning, Snow and Fang did a lot more damage and took out the Left Pauldron and Left Ailette, leaving Barthandelus without his armor.

"_You are fools to oppose me!"_

"Good. My Plan wouldn't work if I wasn't." Jared retorted. None of the L'cie commented on that. "Fang! Vanille! Debuff the shit out of him! Hope Beef up!"

"Right!" Came from the three mentioned. The group then continued to attack. Barthandelus wasn't flinching from any of the attacks, unlike the PSICOM troops, but instead, kept firing Ruin, Ruinga, and the like.

However, then, the guy leaned down quite a bit, and Jared noticed the glow on the shoulders. "ALL OUT ASSAULT! DON'T LET HIM FIRE THOSE BLASTS!" Jared shouted, before launching off Ruinga after Ruinga in his left hand, Darkga after Darkga in his right, and throwing them one right after the other.

Hope was using Fira, Watera, and Aerora. Sazh was using Fira himself.

Lightning was using Sparkstrike, and Snow was using Blizzara. After the second hit, Lightning shouted. "Hope! Enwater!"

"Right!" Hope used Enwater on her, and she continued to use Sparkstrike which dealt a LOT more damage than before with Deshell and Deprotect on him.

The rockets fired, but didn't do anything as they fizzled out before they wet far. _"What the..."_

The L'cie haven't taken much damage, but any damage they _have_ taken are from spells. Jared was about to use Darkra on him, but instead, something else came up. "Wild Growth!" Several Plants burst through the floor, and started to entangle Barthandelus, surprising him. Jared blinked once and spoke. "Venus is back! Psynergy is complete!"

"Right!" Lightning replied. "Hit him while he's wrapped!"

"Right!" was everyone's response. Lightning hit him with Thundara, Hope with Fira, Jared with Darkga in one hand, Glacier in the other, Sazh with Fira, Vanille with Aerora, and Fang used Ruin, the only spell she had.

The resulting blast caused Barthandelus to fall to the ground, glow a bit and vanish. "We did it..." Hope said.

Jared just looked up. "No. That was too easy."

"Right you are, L'cie." They heard Dysley's voice again. "Do you know why?"

"Because they are not strong enough to beat you, and I am not fighting to win just yet." Jared retorted.

"They have the ability. However, I felt you were more ruthless than they were. Care to explain?"

"I've met worse people than you and they got Mercy." Jared replied.

"You wish to find your Focus, do you not? You must summon Ragnarok. Destroy Orphan. Destroy Cocoon."

"You're wrong!" Snow retorted. "Serah told us to save Cocoon right before she turned to Crystal. Telling us this, she completed her focus!"

"Pitiful L'cie." Dysley pointed at them all. "Ragnarok is the beast, one of you must become, In order to lay waste, to Cocoon. You have had the dream," he vanished, and reappeared next to Fang, surprising everyone but Lightning, Hope and Jared, who had seen faster or gone faster. "One among you becomes," He vanished again, this time coming out next to Hope. "that monstrosity, defeat Orphan," He vanished again, appearing behind Lightning, who just turned her head slightly, before he vanished again and walked away from them from his original spot. "And destroy Cocoon."

"Orphan?" Lightning asked, though the one she was asking didn't answer.

"The font of Eden's Power." Dysley spoke. "Orphan fuels Eden with Strength, and in return Eden sustains you and all of our kind. Destroy Orphan, and you'll release a force, such as this world has never seen. Cocoon, will be torn Asunder." Dysley clenched his left hand into a fist, looking at them all.

Fang looked at him, and held her shoulder. "So if I did that, destroyed Orphan..." Dysley appeared in front of her face, and she didn't flinch. "Your Focus will be fulfilled." Lightning took Blaze Omega and struck the spot Dysley was at, causing him to vanish again.

"So what?!" She turned to his new spot, and spoke again. "Who says it has to be?"

Snow held up Serah's Crystal Tear. "Serah asked us to Save Cocoon. Save it! And that's what we're gonna do!"

"I already know the truth of a Focus." Jared added. "And you're wrong on what will be unleashed. Ragnarok destroyed all forces on Gran Pulse to end the War of Transgression 500 years ago. You know that, just as well as I do. The Sanctum didn't win the War. Pulse's greatest ally turned into an enemy, and killed everyone there. Ragnarok is summoned, their Focus is fulfilled. Who Ragnarok attacks, IS UP TO US!" he shouted at the end.

"If you will not face the truth, then face the Peril of your PLIGHT!" He held the staff up, and the place shook. The silver mechanical owl flew into the area, and expanded, making another PSICOM vessel. Dysley floated up, and vanished as it was reaching the new ship. "Run L'cie! See how stark, Reality is!" The ship floated down, and everyone got in at Jared's suggestion.

No one but Jared knew that what happened was broadcast as well.

It wasn't long afterwards the ship took off. "This is bad. The yoke's jammed!" Sazh told them.

"What?" Lightning.

"I knew it was a trap." Snow.

Hope spoke next, seeing something. "Something's coming."

It was another ship, different than the rest. Jared narrowed his eyes, as he saw it try to strike. Jared countered each blast he sent with Radar Missiles that hit one. "Hang on!" Snow shouted.

Jared felt more missiles incoming, and sent more Radar Missiles to counter. There was an extra one, summoned by Hope, which hit the opposing ship.

The aerial battle continued until...

8 Purple beams came in and hit their pursuer. "What the..." Snow started.

"Paku!" was Jared's shout. _"Thanks buddy. I owe you one!"_

_**Don't mention it, Jared!**_

Jared smirked, but lost it at the barrier, which the ship went towards. "This airship is sentient. That's why it's fighting on its own."

Sazh looked at him. "I'm not entirely used to all this Sentient Bullshit yet. Could you cool it down?"

"I don't beat around the bush." A trail popped up, and the ship went into it, before ending up in another area, on their own.

Lightning recognized it. "Eden..."

Everyone was looking back, aside from Jared, who was staring ahead. "Sazh, eyes front!" He told him, causing everyone to look ahead.

"Whoa!" The ship then digitized itself, which Jared noticed, and it went into the incoming building, before they found themselves in a small void, and ended up in a small tunnel, the ship no longer moving. "Let's get off. We're right where Barthandelus wanted us to go."

And they did, before Jared looked at it. "The Sentient feeling is gone. It's just a hunk of metal now."

"So, now what?"

"I'll let you all figure that out." Jared said. "You need the training. I wasn't kidding when I said you guys weren't strong enough to take him out."

As they talked among themselves, Jared sent an update to Amodar, who appreciated it, and they had also seen what Barthandelus was, as it was broadcast.

But that would make no sense to everyone. Why would a Sanctum Fal'cie want Cocoon destroyed?

The answer?

Barthandelus wanted to destroy the world, to make a new one. Orphan was in the same boat.

As he talked with Amodar and Paku, he then pulled Lieutenant Colonel Jihl Nabaat, out of his shadow. She was still in uniform, and he healed her injuries out of sight from the others. "What happened?" She looked around, and didn't recognize the place. "Where am I?" She asked, not expecting anyone to answer.

"The Fifth Ark." She turned to see Jared. "It's a Pulse Vestige, and training ground for L'cie."

"You... I was right."

He put a palm on her forehead, causing her to stop, and see images. Everything they've done, everything that should've happened, and everything that went down at the Bridge of the Palamecia. When the images stopped, she was panting, and now on her knees. "You saw the broadcast, did you not?" Jared asked. "My mission, is not a focus. I was given it _before_ I came to Cocoon, or even Pulse. Orphan and Barthandelus are my targets. You now know what I'm here for, what I plan to do for it, and where we are. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

She was still panting, and looked at him. "Why?" He raised an eyebrow, which prompted her to explain. "Why tell me this? Why show me this? Why did you even bring me here?!" Jared was glad he put up a Sound Barrier around the two of them.

"To see the truth, in Barthandelus's words. Why would Barthandelus, a Sanctum Fal'cie, want us to destroy Cocoon? Stop acting as a Soldier, and _think_. What would he gain from it? Killing his own people, destroying the place he built from the ground up, what would you do all that for?"

Jared stared at her, as she stopped her response before she spoke. _'He's right... it doesn't make sense. And the shock I got hit with...'_ Her eyes widened. "What hit me back at the Bridge? You know what it was, don't you?"

"It was Ruin. A L'cie Spell."

"And The Primarch is a L'cie..."

"Fal'cie, actually. Dysley is the Fal'cie Barthandelus. One my targets. You're only looking at what you've known, and can understand. I will send you to another Place. The others won't like you. Find the truth. Survive. Think. Maybe then, you can accept what I told you, and everything you saw." She glowed slightly, causing her to glare at him. "Don't worry, this is harmless... Usually." She then vanished. She couldn't retort or say anything, which she didn't like. _'She is SO not gonna like that later on.'_ He thought, as he went back to the others.

"What happened to you?" Lightning asked.

"Oh, just picked up a stowaway. Had to alter their memories and send them out." Jared replied.

"How? I mean, weren't we the only ones on the thing?" Sazh questioned.

"Apparently not." Jared replied. "Anyway, you guys got any plans?"

"I need training for my Guardian Abilities and as a L'cie." Hope said. "You did promise my father that."

Jared nodded. "And I was going to do so either way. Light?"

"We're going to go through here, and clean it out. Work on our L'cie abilities as well. You can give Hope the information he need for the Guardian Training, but that should be able to wait for actual training."

Jared nodded. "Most of the abilities I can help with easily. It's actually applying them and getting used to it that will take a while." Hope nodded at that. "So for now, we focus on L'cie abilities. Got it. Anything else?"

"We'll have to find our own way out of here." Fang pointed out. "That thing won't take us out."

"I would be surprised if it did." Jared replied.

"Aside from that, we're pretty much gonna go by ear." Snow admitted. "But why did we need to plan, anyway?"

"Heroes may not need plans, but doing what we are, only a fool would do so without a plan. A Hero knows when a plan is needed. A Hero also knows when plans aren't needed. A hero will do what they think is right, no matter what. A hero can use a plan when they need it."

"You calling yourself a Hero?" Lightning questioned, an eyebrow raised.

Jared shook his head. "I'm no hero." he looked up. "I'm an Anti-Hero. I do everything a hero would do, but I would do anything, short of going against my own morals to get the job done. The only moral I don't throw away, is the one I kept with me all throughout Palumpolum. I didn't kill those that weren't necessary. If someone is innocent, and doesn't want to do what they are, I knock them out. I don't kill. It's easier on me that way. I don't kill the innocent."

Lightning looked at him, and nodded. "Anything else we should know about you before we start moving?"

Jared started to glow, before all of the others glowed. Said glow stayed for 10 seconds, before all glowing stopped, and all of them fell to their knees. "That enough for you all?"

Snow, Vanille and Sazh looked at him in surprise. Hope looked as if he already thought as much. Lightning's face was blank, but she nodded. "Anything else we should know?"

"Probably the fact that I'm still missing my Dragoon Form, at the moment. All spells I learned from Charlie, I can't use. Shadow Flare is included in that, oddly enough."

"So... that's what Melbu did..." Lightning breathed out. "And you used a bomb that powerful?"

"I told you it was an experimental explosive, didn't I?" Jared replied, she nodded. "He had it coming. Melbu was worse than Barthandelus is. A Quick death like that is a mercy."

They all looked at him. "So, that's what you're really capable of?" Sazh asked, somewhat concerned.

Jared nodded. "Is there any way you could get me to do stuff like that?" Hope asked.

"I could give you the knowledge of everything I know and have made, and the mechanics behind them, but you'll have to understand the knowledge yourself. Even if you have the knowledge, understanding the information is an entirely different matter."

Hope nodded. "Alright, but how will I know when I understand it."

"When you know something, you can tell others. But if someone asks you something specific about it, and you can't answer, that's where the understanding comes in. If you don't understand something, you can't explain it. Take the knowledge, pick it apart, and look between the lines, and then look at whats beneath what's there." Jared answered.

Hope looked confused. Jared then hummed. "Think of it like a sandwich. You look at one end, and you only see the bread. What's between the lines is what's between the two slices of bread. What you are looking for is what _that_ is made of, without being able to directly look at it and no one else to explain it. To understand something, you need to know the how, and the why. What goes where is important, sure, but why does it go there? How does it work like that, and not another way? That's what you need to understand. It's more than just knowing what makes it work. It's far more complicated than most would think. You saw that first hand."

Seeing Hope nod, he sighed. "Any other questions on the Mecha Summon Ability?"

"Uh... How did it start?"

Jared blinked. "You know, that's something I don't think anyone these days knows. It never really occurred to me where it came from."

Hope just looked confused. "How long has it been since Guardians have been using it?"

Jared sighed, as he ran a hand through his hair. "At the very least 50,000 years. I don't know how the ability came into existence, or if it was first founded by the Guardians, or even if some no name created the ability and somehow the Guardians found out about it and somehow started to use it. I don't know, and I think it's better if we don't think on it."

"You're probably right." Hope replied.

"We should wait until we're safe for the time being. There are enemies nearby, and doing so once can be a doozy, but doing it twice to the same person can knock them out if not paced out. Only one that could handle two is Charlie." Jared told them, earning a round of nods.

"So... that's why you never said anything, isn't it? To let us all know at the same time?" Sazh questioned, more out of curiosity.

"That would be about right." Jared said. "Plus, you saw about Mark and Eris, and what I had to do. You all also know what I felt at the time. Do you really think I'd talk about that?"

Sazh shook his head. "Nah, I got that part. Honestly, I'm more impressed that you'd do it, knowing what it would do to both them and you."

"Wait, I didn't see that part." Lightning stated.

"Neither did I." Snow added.

"Nor I." Fang continued.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't get that one too."

"Of course not. Hope and Sazh are the only ones that got _that_ _one_, because they're the only one that needed to know. Just like Light was the only one that needed to know a few _other_ _things_." Jared hinted, which caused Lightning to blush slightly.

"I didn't need to see _that_."

"Which one?"

"Lohan."

"Ah. That one was... well, I showed you that to let you know how long. That one was, and still is, my all time record." He told her.

"Wait, you showed her when you..." Snow was cut off by a sword at his jugular vein.

"You don't want to finish that sentence, Snow. You _really_ don't." Jared warned, Reaper in hand.

"R-right..." Reaper was instantly back in his sheath. "Let's move.

00000x00000

What Snow and Lightning mentioned at the end was Rose and Jared.

Alright, who saw Hope's father being a Dimensional Guardian?

A picture of Mortal edge is at the following URL:

rinsoevrest. Deviantart art/Mort al-Edge-3 43820553

Just ignore the spaces.

Mechanical Summon IS NOT my idea, either. Originally, it was from someone on Newgrounds: LGDVegetto. He used it in his Sonic's Quest for Power series.

Honestly, I figure some of the information on the ability was left out. I pointed that part out to someone else on FFN, and told them the idea they had, and LGDVegetto were similar in prospect, but the true ability is more like what **Resurrection of the Forgotten** used for Naruto in Shinobi of the Digital Hazard.

That's the major drawback for that particular ability. Understanding what the ability does is only half the puzzle. You need to understand what you're bringing out as well.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!

And thank you Yasha Kyouran for letting me use your OC.


	8. FREE AT LAST

…

**Chapter 8**

The L'cie have been walking through the halls of the subway-esque system, for 10 minutes, and found some stairs where they went up. Hope and Jared were talking about technology, which Jared was explaining, while looking around every now and then, never once breaking conversation. He knew Hope had a lot to learn, but Jared was patient. Lightning had listened to them both talk as well, as was Snow.

Sazh jumped into the conversation when the topic of planes and airships came into play, but it didn't go on for long, though.

As they had gotten to the top of the stairs they had found, they were all on the same platform, when Jared felt an energy pulse in the ground.

Unable to react in time, a glowing mark appeared beneath them, showing the symbol of their brand. Each brand had reacted, even Jared's, and all of them felt the pain.

All of them were panting, but for Jared...

Jared was on his knees, his hands gripping his head. _"Jain! What's going on?"_ He mentally shouted.

**(Two more paths are opening up in the Crystarium but...)**

"_There's more coming in than L'cie abilities!"_ He mentally shouted, before the others noticed that he hadn't recovered yet.

"Jared!" Lightning shouted.

"Back away from me!" He shouted, his voice pained. "AaaaahhhHHHHHHH!" he was surrounded in a Deep Crimson glow, which then turned into an Orb with the Crimson Dragon's symbol on one end. Everyone looked at the Orb in concern, especially Hope and Lightning. _'What the hell is going on?'_ Was the dominate thought.

The orb then cracked in a few places, which then spread to encompass the entire orb. Pieces began to fall off, and reveal something new.

What stood before them was Jared for sure. However, the armor was something entirely new... Except for Lightning. She had seen it in his Datalog when he showed her his abilities.

He was currently in a fetal position, with Deep crimson wire wings, Blood red Heavy Platemail Armor with a Ruby on the chestplate, Crimson armguards with a Triple Barrel gun on his wrist, Reaper in his right hand, Crimson metal boots that went up to the knees, and a short skirt-like Platemail emanating from the waist covering 4 points: Ass, Hips, and crotch.

He then fell to the ground, the wings going back behind him, as he landed on his hands and knees, panting. "What the..." He closed his eyes. _"What's going on? This feeling is..."_

**(Jared, what was Lord Shinku doing here to give you power?)**

Jared smirked. Now he understood it. _'That's it. That's what happened! It wasn't Shinku that was doing that. Everything is finally unlocked! HELL FUCKING YEAH!'_

**(Jared?)** He heard Jain.

_'Yeah Jain?'_

**(Hate to bring up so stupid questions, but what happened?)**

_'Jain, Shinku isn't here. My soul fused with the power of his that interfered when I got branded. When that happened I lost most of my abilities. And now they're all back!'_

Jared then got up, and stretched his wings out. He no longer had a smirk. Now it was a smile as he remembered the feeling this form gave him. "Uh... What just happened?" Sazh asked.

"Full abilities: Unlocked." Jared replied, causing Lightning's eyes to widen.

"You're kidding us right?" She asked.

Jared looked at her, and shook his head. "This is one form I _dearly_ missed." His smile widened a bit, before he hopped up, and stayed airborne, before flying off seeing two robots coming their way. He used Libra, and knew everything about them. The others had two more in their area, so Jared decided to use what he knew he was missing. Reaper glowed red. "Absolute Powerforce!" He cut through them both, and they both exploded in response.

He then smiled at the feeling he was getting. It had been too long. _'Hey Jain?'_

**(What? You do realize we've gotten bored here, right?)**

_'I know, Jain. I've been waiting for the right battle to come up that won't bore the hell out of all of you. Besides, as I get stronger, don't you?'_

**(True as that is, we need an outlet, and soon. Especially Wulf. He's been getting bloodthirsty.)**

Jared saw a bunch more in the area ahead. The others were still busy with their two, so he decided to let loose. _'Alright, we've got 20 enemies right there.'_ A crystal appeared in front of him, which then shot off a bit, before he shot the crystal causing a White and Gold orb to appear, from which each of the Lightsworns came out.

Everyone, Monster, Robot and L'cie, noticed the high amounts of Energy used. "Have fun!" Jared landed on a banister, and just watched the Lightsworns take out every single one of their targets.

The lot of them were releasing pent up stress, even Celestia. Rinyan, however, was another story. She went into the enemies and then tore them apart from the inside, and ran out. _'Quick and deadly. She really is a Rogue.'_ Jared noted, before firing a few rounds at the Phosphorus Ooze that was approaching Jain from behind. What came of it was a Cosmic Blast, a White and Green beam that obliterated it. Jain looked at Jared who fired it. **(Thank you for that.)**

"I got your back if you guys need me. You know that, right?" He replied, earning a nod. The others came up to the area and found the Lightsworns fighting off the enemies in the area. Lightning looked at Jared, who was just watching.

"Why aren't you fighting with them?" She questioned.

"Because, Light, they need to blow off steam. I haven't summoned them since I got them. They've got a lot of stress and battle lust built up. I should have summoned them earlier, but I digress. They need this more than I do. For now, going into your minds, find your Crystarium, and Choose your path. We'll be fine." Jared then held up his left hand. "Holy!" A bright white beam incinerated 3 Enemies, 1 of which was about to hit Garoth from behind.

**(I would've been fine.)** He growled out.

Jared just smirked in response. "With the three oozes behind you? I think not."

Lightning watched as they dealt more and more damage, as did everyone else. They didn't realize just how much power these guys had.

"They're stronger than before."

"I get stronger, so do they. It's a rule for Eidolons." Jared told them.

Lightning, Sazh and Snow looked at him in slight surprise. "I didn't know know that." Sazh admitted.

"Probably because you were captured right after gaining yours, unless you got it _before_ you reached Nautilus. I know that's where they caught you." Jared admitted.

Sazh shook his head. "I did. I also went over all of those Thirteen Days entries. Seeing day 5 made me lose it 2 days beforehand. Brynhildr is a good guy, but a bit of a hot head."

"Stiria and Nyx are good girls, but a little too flirty for my tastes." Snow admitted. "I'm already engaged, and they still flirt with me."

"Say what?" Lightning's voice was low.

"I keep telling them it's a bad idea, and that I'm taken, but they just don't listen to me." Snow held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Serah's the only one for me. I tell them as much, but the fact that they don't listen, or don't believe it, they don't stop, so I learned to ignore it."

"He's right. I've heard him tell them 41 times before we met back up." Fang commented. "But, they're the most horny of all Eidolons. It's good luck that has them because they're powerful, but it's bad for him because they've made many male L'cie go astray. If they're not completely devoted to one girl, they will eventually fall for them. Snow hasn't even started to fall for their wiles, so he's safe... for now."

"Serah definitely won't like that they're my Eidolon, but if they help me live long enough to see her, I can put up with their stubbornness. Helps that I'm just as stubborn as they are." Snow admitted.

"Good to see you admit it." Lightning commented. "And you know what will happen if she sees them do that, right?"

"Yeah, but the first time I show her, if I ever do, I will tell her _beforehand_ that they're too flirty for her and try not to get angry at them. Either that, or have _her_ tell them. They won't believe my heart belongs to another, then have the one my heart belongs to tell them. I'm not sure which is worse."

Jared spoke on that. "Having Serah tell them is the better choice. If they don't stop, then I'm sorry to say they won't let go, no matter what... I think you'd have to go at it in front of them for them to believe it."

Snow and Lightning looked at him and shrugged. "Better than nothing, I guess."

**(Oh come on! You really expect us to believe you're taken?)** Stiria commented.

Snow grumbled. _'You two aren't going to let up until you see the proof, aren't you?'_

**(You got it, sweetie!)** Nyx said.

Snow sighed. "Come on. Let's just get going."

Just then, Jain spoke. **(Lightsworns! Bring the Judgment!)**

Jared looked at the Lightsworns, which all glowed, and hit Gragonith, which confused Lightning. Just then, Judgment Dragon appeared, and Jared landed on the top. "Guess we got a little time to blow some shit up, eh?"

**(We've been bored. Sue us.)**

"No need. It's partially my fault." Jared admitted. "Let's do this!"

Scales left the dragons hide and created a wind storm. This was Scale Storm.

The forelegs came up and smashed two underneath each of them. This was Dragon Stomp.

JD gave off a massive roar that sent several of the targets back. This was Dragon's Roar.

"Let's finish this in one more move!" Jared shouted.

**(With pleasure!)** JD went up, as did Jared. **(Adrammelech's Judgment!)** A large white, Grey, and Crimson ball appeared in front of the giant Dragon's mouth.

Lightning saw this, and shouted in response. "Hit the deck!" Everyone got down on the ground.

As they did, the ball made a large beam that obliterated an sign of life it touched. Any enemies, Automatons with slight sentience, even a few machines that were running. If it could move, it was obliterated.

JD landed in the center of the half crater, and Jared stopped in front of him, floating. "You good?"

**(For now. Good luck, and summon them more often. They'll need it. Trust me.)**

JD then flew into the ceiling and vanished in a white light. Jared floated over to them. "Sorry about that. They were in a pissy mood, and bored as hell. Had to let them burn off some steam. Too much?"

They all nodded at his question. Jared then sat down for a bit, and went into the Crystarium. There, he saw Jain, who just stared at him. "Sorry Jain. I should've summoned you guys sooner. I was an idiot."

**(You were doing fine on your own, but you need to realize we're here to help.)** Jain told him. **(You can't do everything on your own.)**

"I know, but..." he hung his head. "I'm sorry. Can't you all forgive me?"

Jain put a hand on his shoulder. **(Garoth is a little ticked right now, but the rest have already done so. For me, there is nothing to forgive.)**

Jared nodded, still slightly depressed, but ended up wrapping his arms around her chestplate. She returned his embrace, **(It's okay. You don't have to apologize. Garoth is just ticked you got those three behind him.)**

Jared didn't even meet her eyes, but got back a few seconds afterwards. His eyes were watery, as if he were about to cry, so he wiped them, and his determined face came back up. "Thank you, Jain."

**(Don't mention it. By the way, every enemy we took out added to your CP. Take a look)** Jain and him looked at the Center crystal, and their eyes widened. Even Jain didn't think they had gained _this much_.

"How many guys did you all take out?" Jared asked, surprise in his voice.

**(I think it was over 100 total.)** Jain said.

"Holy shit..." Jared breathed out. "Over 600,000 CP from all that?"

**(Shall we put it into action?)**

"Ravager first. Finish that, and then go for Saboteur, and finally Medic. Commando, Sentinel and Synergist are mastered already, so we just have to work on these three. Deal?"

**(Alright, let's see how much we can get into this.)** Jain replied.

Jared put as much as he could into Ravager, and he barely made it to the end of Ravager. He checked his stats. His MATK and ATK stats had gone up quite a bit. He had learned every spell Ravagers learned, all three tiers of all 5 elements, Quake, Holy, Dark, Darkra, Darkga, Darkja, Darkstrike, Holy Strike, and at the end was two more abilities, which surprised even him: Shadowstrike and Shadow Cannon. "Didn't think those two would be there."

**(Neither did I. Looks like it's not just a Reaper special thing, anymore.)** Jain commented.

"Looks that way." Jared commented. "Considering the fact that I barely have 100 CP left now, I think it's safe to say that I'll be working for more experience after a while. Got to test out the new abilities."

**(Before you go, I should say something. Every time you learn a spell or ability here, I gain them. Lyla has been learning the spells, as have each of the Spellcasters in our group. Since we are not normal Eidolons, I believe we are taking extra abilities from your L'cie abilities. I've learned every single one, Lyla and the other Spellcasters have learned the spells like Aero, Thunder and the like. Garoth and Wulf have been learning the ones such as Flamestrike, but Jenis has only really learned Holy, Ruin and Ruinga, which is weird considering she is a Spellcaster as well.)**

Jared thought about it. "Jenis is the Healer of the Lightsworns. I think her skills would progress as I progress into the Medic role. Think that's why?"

**(Could be.)**

"What about Rinyan and Gragonith? No offense, but I'm not sure what else they could learn, aside from Holy, and Holy Strike."

**(They both learned those, but Rinyan also learned Shadowstrike when you did, and all the Tier 1 and Tier 2 spells. She also has a bit of Natural Cloaking, being our resident Rogue.)**

"And Gragonith?"

**(All Tier 3 spells, aside from Darkga, but not their Tier 1 and Tier 2 abilities. He's effectively a tank, and a massive wall, since his defenses increased at twice the rate of everyone else.)**

"I guess that comes with being a Dragon. They're powerhouses. Always are. Since I barely mastered Ravager in this session, I guess I should actually move into Medic instead of Saboteur."

**(Jenis?)**

"Yeah. Can't have her feeling useless, you know? She's a part of the team as well." Jared replied.

**(Alright. You should get going. After that, we're going to need so rest. Give us 2 days. We'll be fine by then.)**

"Sure thing, Jain. See ya soon!" Jared vanished.

Jared returned to the living world, as the rest finished their conversation. Lightning looked at him and gave him a quick summary. "Apparently, this is an Ark. We're here, and this is for training us to become stronger weapons." She said, before raising an eyebrow. "But I'm sure you probably already knew that." It wasn't a question.

Jared simply nodded. "Yeah, I knew. Anyway, I got well over 600,000 CP from all that. I spent all I had the moment we got here, and that was the only battle I've been in since we started. I just mastered Ravager, with about 100 CP left. I'm saving it for a while, and then going for Medic after a while."

"Why not Saboteur?" She asked. "Wouldn't Slow be in your best interest?"

Jared shook his head. "True as that is, one of my Eidolons has barely gained any abilities. She's a healer, and I can't leave her hanging."

"Now that's strange." Fang commented. "But not as strange as your Eidolon. First off, I've never seen an Eidolon like that. Second, all Eidolons have their own set of abilities and don't learn from the L'cie. Sure they get stronger as the L'cie does, but they don't learn the abilities of the L'cie themselves. Care to share?"

Jared shrugged. "They're the Lightsworns."

"Never heard of them." Fang replied.

Vanille, on the other hand spoke up. "Lightsworns? You mean the Knights of the Round, right?"

"Similar, but not quite." Jared replied, though this earned looks from everyone.

"Vanille, those were _not_ the Knights of the Round. Knights of the Round wouldn't have gone to him simply because of the Dark Spell set." Fang commented.

"Lightsworns are similar to Knights of the Round, for sure. But they weren't originally an Eidolon. That's why they have to learn skills when I learn them. The only difference is Celestia, the Angel, and the fact she knew Holy from the beginning." He then explained to them what the Lightsworns really were. "To be honest, I think Jain's the one in my Crystarium, because she's the one I'm most connected with. Shadowwind or not, the Fal'cie didn't choose my Eidolon. Neither did the Maker. No, it was Shinku." Jared's form glowed and he was back in his normal armor, slightly panting.

"Shinku is the Crimson Dragon the leader of all Duel Monsters, but I've been working with the Lightsworns long before I was a Guardian. Sure they were a bunch of Cards then, but now that they're real and my Eidolon, I really have to get used to it."

Fang just looked at him and crossed her arms. "I remember what you said while we were in that Moon. You never showed me those cards."

"Didn't look for them. Didn't think they'd be there." Jared shrugged. "Sure, I used Fiends, Warriors, hell any deck well in that Game, but above all others, the Lightsworns were my best. I had a complete connection to them." An astral projection of Jain appeared behind him, but he didn't notice. The others, however did. "The Lightsworns were my friends. They always were. Sometimes, I thought I could hear them talk, even though I knew they were just cards at the time. There were a few others I heard, but not many."

"Who were the others?" Hope asked.

Jared looked at him. "One was my Raviel, Lord of Phantasms. Another was my Yubel card, when she talked, it wasn't much, but she always got me in a better mood when the Lightsworns couldn't. Then there was Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger, fierce guy, bad at giving advice. Winged Kuriboh, funny little guy, but he just looks like a ball of fur with Angel wings. Finally, there was Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction. There one spell I managed to create, which is based on Gandora: The Giga Rays of Destruction. If you hear me call that out, _do not_ get in the way, and hope it doesn't hit you. It's powerful, dangerous, and highly concentrated. You don't do much for it, as it guides itself. It will strike anything that moves, and it cannot tell friend from foe." he mentally counted them off from his head. "Haven't heard any others, so that would be about it. I still heard every single Lightsworn, and Judgment Dragon, which are my Eidolon and their Gestalt respectively, and they kept me company much better than my own blood relatives. They were more spread out than I would have liked, but with most of them traveling due to the Local Military, I can't really blame them. It's why I stayed isolated near one of their homes: my Grandmother to be exact. She was one of the only ones that didn't move so often with a good place for Isolationists such as myself."

They all looked at him. "You were an Isolationist?" Lightning questioned.

Jared nodded. "With my abilities, I had enough common sense to keep them hidden. I had to stay by myself for some time, because they could've gone out of control. I didn't want someone else to be hurt because of me, and since I wasn't in complete control of them until I reached Endiness, and then again in Weyard, I had to be alone. My family didn't like it, but I didn't cut myself off from them. I kept in touch as much as I could, but in the end, it was the Lightsworns that kept me company most often."

"Any chance this game could have a world where it's worldwide?" Hope asked.

"Without a doubt." Jared said. "Shinku is living proof of that, and I have _his_ power in me. If it's not real, I'd say something is definitely wrong."

Hope nodded. "Alright, let's get moving. You mind letting us get some experience? We need it more than you do." Hope pointed out.

"Wait Hope." Jared said. "Everyone should just train their L'cie abilities. Hope, you're a different story. I want you to use your Guardian Abilities instead. You'll still gain CP, but your goal here is to get the Mechanical Summon ability down pat. You need to be able to summon any weapon instantly, and be able to use them. This is practice for both. Trust me. You'll need this more than you know."

Hope nodded, and kept Nue in his pocket somewhat. Jared looked at him, and watched as he started to pull on his Mechanical summon ability a bit. It took him some time, but he was able to make a few handguns used by PSICOM. They had 12 round magazines, but they didn't do much. Sazh noticed his problem, and showed him what his Vega 42s did, since he knew them better than his own hand. He used them much. Once Hope got those down, he was using them in a similar way to Sazh, but with less flair.

More to the point, Hope's aim was pretty good for someone that hasn't shot a single gun in his life. "Must be a L'cie thing, I suppose. Magic requires aim, so maybe that's helping you out." Sazh commented.

"He's right. It's the fact that you're aiming with Spells that is helping your aim now." Jared commented. "For now, stick with those. Work on your aim, and carrying them. They're Lightweight, and you don't have to worry about running out of ammo."

Sazh nodded at that. Ammunition was always a must with guns, but with their ability to make anything weapon appear, Ammo was not much of a concern for them.

Meanwhile, Lightning, Snow, Fang and Vanille were in one group taking on a few Circuitrons. Jared grouped them in the "Bomb" category. They self-destruct if you don't take them out fast enough. They also training using every ability they had against the Pulsework Knights, which Lightning was glad _didn't_ explode when they were taken out, the Circuitrons, and a few others called Phosphorus Ooze. They combined and gained a major boost in ability, along with combining their stamina at the time. Tricky little idiots, as Lightning called them.

They had just decided to fight as much as they could, without tiring. Hope was training his aim with handguns, which he had memorized from Jared and Raines. He didn't have the knowledge and understanding of Explosives yet so those were out of the picture, aside from Radar Missiles, which he can only fire one of at a time, whereas Jared can make 50 at once.

Sazh just helped Hope with some tips on aiming. After a bit, Hope's aim _had_ increased. Much more so than it would have otherwise. Hope was thanking Sazh, who was helping him with advice, and Jared who had his back when he needed it.

Jared only really interfered when Hope needed it, but Sazh was right there with him, giving him advice as needed. They had also taken on leeches, similar to the Crawlers Hope and Jared had seen in the Gapra Whitewood. A single Libra told them its name was Noctilucale. Major differences between the two: More stamina and an added Weakness in Ice.

Hope was using the Mechanical summon ability for a lot of different weapons, all with the same weight and balance as the Vega 42s Sazh usually used. He was getting better, but he was still far from mastering the Weapon class, according to Jared.

"Then why don't you show us how's it done?" Sazh questioned.

Jared just shrugged, eyes closed, and two identical copies of Sazh's Vega 42s appeared in his hand instantly, before he fired 3 shots in seemingly random directions, without looking in any way. The way he did that standing still, eyes closed, and took out 3 beings in a 2 second timeframe, Sazh was actually impressed. Jared then opened his eyes. "Hope, you're good. I'll admit that much. But you're far from a master. Even Sazh isn't a master of these weapons. To be a master of any weapon, you must be able to tell where everything is, what's in range, what isn't, and, since you have all needed knowledge of the enemies here, be able to hit them in an instant kill shot without looking at them directly, or taking time to aim. You are far from a master with guns, as Boomerangs seem more your style, but this ability is crucial to being a Guardian, and not training in it could mean your death if you can't bring something out."

Jared instantly had a large shield on his left arm, which Sazh and Hope saw on Jain. "The ability is not only for Weapons. Shields, armor, airships, even snowboards. There is virtually no limit to what can be made with the ability. Heck, I use it to make skillets for cooking, at that. As I told Light, it's one of the only skills I tend to abuse outside of battle." The shield vanished and the two looked at him. "You have to be able to bring things out within milliseconds. The time it takes could mean your death if you're going for something defensive, like a shield, or someone else could escape, if you were going for a gun. Bringing out anything of certain materials would make it easier to bring out other objects made of said material. The Vega 42s are made of High-grade Steel, but it's steel Nonetheless. The easier it is to bring out things made out of Steel, the more understanding you'll have of how to get it out."

Hope then decided to work on bringing things out when not in a fight. Jared hadn't used many spells, but the three went on a different route from the others. He was mainly acting as Backup for the other two in his group.

When their group met up, they were far away from the original area where they split up (The end of the place where the L'cie Abilities are unlocked, and Jared regained his Dragoon form). What they saw in front of them was a Behemoth. Lightning looked at Jared, who looked at Hope. "Hope, why don't you show them what you've learned?"

"You think I can?" Hope asked, slightly scared.

"It's not a matter of can or can't." Jared replied.

Hope wasn't any less scared, but his eyes now showed determination. While Hope was working on the Greater Behemoth, however something else came into the area, and Jared was _instantly_ on guard. "Oh shit." _'Jain, please tell me you guys are willing to fight right now.'_

**(We can, but not for long.)** Jain then appeared behind him. **(A Large Spider? That's what you want us to help with?)**

_'Jain, you don't know about my connection to spiders, and I doubt the others do either. I doubt even Shinku knew.'_

**(Enlighten us, then. Why would you summon us for a _spider_ of all things?)** he heard a slightly gruff, yet female voice tell him. He knew it was Ehren.

_'I was actually hoping there wasn't a spider here. Looks like there was one, and, as I expected if there was, it found me.'_ Said spider was a good 8 feet tall, looked a lot like a Black Widow, and had acid falling from the mandibles.

Fang and Vanille saw this, and instantly got ready for a fight, but the moment Lightning saw it, she told Vanille and Fang to leave the spider alone. "That thing is more powerful than anything we've come across, and it's here for us!" Fang retorted.

"Not us." Light countered, before pointing at Jared. "Him."

"What did he do to piss it off?" Fang questioned.

"Nothing he did. Something his grandmother did, and _all_ spiders know of the connection." Lightning told them.

"Shouldn't we, I don't know, help him?" Snow asked, ready to strike it with a Blizzara.

Jared soon has his Eidolon Crystal out and shot it with Cerberus. All 13 Lightsworns appeared in the area, and Jared _immediately_ started using Mediguard, Titan's Guard, and Steelguard in that order. Titan's Guard was ability he found was far more powerful in defense than both Steelguard and Mediguard combined, but he rarely used it. What's more is, it wasn't a L'cie ability. The spider constantly attacked Jared, but wasn't doing any good damage to him thanks to his shields.

It ignored all others, even the Lightsworns attacking it. Ehren then used something that surprised all of them. "Shadow Cannon!" The 3 foot purple beam hit the Spider, sending it flying. Jared was panting from the damage the Spider had managed to inflict, but even the Shadow Cannon didn't do much. Jared's shields went down, and he used Vital boon on himself followed closely by Pure Ply, before reactivating the shields, but this time adding Vendetta at the top. 4 shields, and he was back to taking hits. Lyla then added another barrier, which wasn't doing much good. Jain was shield bashing the spider in several different areas, but it was Gragonith that dealt the first good blow.

He used Holy Blast, a Supercharged Holy equaling a Tier 3 Holy, and it nearly vaporized the spider. Garoth made one blow after that with his axe, and managed to cut it in half in one go. The remains of the Spider fell to the ground, and Jared deactivated his shields, dismissing the Lightsworns with a "Thank you." before using Firaga to burn any traces of the Spider left. Jared limped over to the wall of the tunnel, and sat down, his back against it. "Fucking spiders...never leave me alone..." He mumbled., not caring if the others heard him.

Just then, Hope had managed to fell the Greater Behemoth, but he soon found that only Sazh was watching him, and it was half-hearted. "What happened?"

"Giant Spider came in, Jared took it on alone." Sazh replied. "I knew you might need help, so I watched over you. Taking on a Behemoth is much better than before, I think. But you look exhausted yourself."

"Did you just say Spider?" Hope asked, earning a nod. "Oh... How strong was it?"

"Strong enough to ignore most of the Lightsworns' attacks. Seriously, those things were going at it like bulls on parade, but it never shifted its gaze off of Jared. Almost like the others didn't matter."

Hope managed to get over to Jared, and sat down, Nue in hand. They were both panting. "Hey... Hope. Sorry I couldn't... watch."

"It's fine... I know what happens with you... and spiders." He replied.

"If I hadn't used Titan's Guard... I wouldn't be here right now." Jared admitted.

"Ya got that right!" Fang scolded him. "You never take on a Crimson Blackmould on your own. L'cie or not, that's suicide."

"Suicide?" Snow questioned. "How strong are they?"

"Strongest beings in Gran Pulse. They may be few, but they're stronger than they should be. Even Pulse Fal'cie know not to piss one off. Whatever you did, you better hope another doesn't come after you."

"Not like I have a choice." Jared retorted, his voice still weakened, as he used another Vital Boon. "Spiders of all kinds hate me. Scorpions, I'm okay with. But _all _spiders hate me. If there's one within 2 or 3 miles, it'll know where I'm at and it'll find me." He managed another Vital Boon. "And it'll try to _kill_ me. If it has eight legs and no tail, it'll find me." He started to sink into his shadow. "I'll be in my Shadow Vault." Hope grabbed his arm, and went in with him. Everyone else just watched, surprised.

"How did he..." Sazh trailed off.

"Not a clue." Lightning admitted.

"Think we should wait for him?" Snow asked.

"Good idea." Lightning answered.

-Shadow Vault-

Jared was immediately inside the house in his Shadow Vault, only slightly surprised that Hope was holding onto his arm. Jared just looked at him. "I hope you realize that the only reason you could come in here is because you're a Guardian, too."

Hope blinked, as he looked around the building. "Wait, this is the house that we..."

"Yes. It is." Jared looked around, and saw that the Lobos and Chris weren't there. "Anyway, I'm gonna catch some Zs. The room Nue was in is still off limits, if you decide to go outside than be careful. It's got no gravity whatsoever." Jared walked over to the bed, the armor fell off and disappeared, before he laid down and went to sleep.

Hope just blinked at him, before turning to the entrance/exit, and opening the obsidian door, only to find an infinite space of nothingness. He saw several things floating around from cars, Velocycles, _'So that's where they were.'_ Even a Centurion Blade that they had found earlier. _'I guess he took that too.'_

He walked off, and was wondering what was going on, before he thought about something. _'He said this was a void of nothingness. If that's the case, how does he get around?'_ He thought, before something hit him. _'Wait... What if I just will myself around?'_ he did that and started floating a bit, before managing to go over to one of the Velocycles. It was still inactive, which he was grateful. He continued to float around, willing himself to go where he wanted to, but he found something strange. _'What is a PSICOM Baton doing here? I mean, I didn't think he took one of those... Unless he took someone from PSICOM that had one... but then who...'_ He then went up to it, and noticed something. _'Wait, isn't this that Nabaat woman's baton?'_ He saw the insignia, which he had only seen on hers. He had seen several, but none of them had that symbol on it. It wasn't PSICOM, it wasn't anything he came across aside from on her Baton.

That's when he remembered something. _'A stowaway... He took her from the Palamecia on purpose, didn't he? But altering her memories... He didn't replace what was already there. No, he gave her some new memories, without getting rid of the old ones. Like he did with us. But then... sending them out?' _Hope then realized it. _'Does he think she can be changed? He gave her information, and sent her somewhere she can think on it? Somewhere without Sanctum influence? But where would he send her that could be...'_ His eyes widened. _'No, he didn't... Come to think of it, he probably did, and I shouldn't be surprised.'_ He shook his head, and then saw the Lobos coming by. He then caught sight of Kadeem. "Kadeem!" He shouted.

"_Hope?"_ Kadeem stopped, and floated over to him. _"What are you doing here?"_

"Grabbed Jared's arm as he came in." Hope admitted, before looking at the Baton. "Did this thing come in with a person?"

"_Yeah, it was a woman. Dunno her name. But when she left, this thing didn't go with. Dunno why. Why do you ask?"_

Hope sighed. "I was right. He took Nabaat off the Palamecia, put her in here, brought her out in the Ark, and sent her out without a single weapon. Nothing but new knowledge." He looked back at Kadeem. "Come on. Let's head back to the house. I'm gonna get some rest. Just took on a Greater Behemoth alone, while Jared took on some spider."

"_Spiders are the Bane of Athena. Believe me, the fact that Jared is not scared of Spiders is a feat in itself. Being pissed at them, on the other hand, that's a whole new concept."_

"Athena? Never heard of them."

"_Not surprised. We know of Artemis, Pan, and through Pan we wolves learned of Athena. Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy. Jared's either her son, or grandson."_

"What did Athena do to Spiders to make them hate Jared?"

"_Uh... I think it's because Athena turned a weaver into a Spider because she's a sore loser. Spider got pissed, and she became the Queen of Spiders. Now all Spiders try to get revenge for their Queen on the children of Athena. If you know what I mean."_

Hope understood revenge, so he nodded. "I get the revenge part. But making your children hate someone for your own grudge? That's like saying all L'cie are bad because our parents are just scared of them. It doesn't make sense."

They reached the house, and Hope got back on the couch, this time, Kadeem was next to him on said Couch.

He was asleep for longer than Jared, who found Kadeem in the area, Seriune was asleep with Chris. The rest slept in stranger positions.

He decided to work on his Ironman armor while Hope continued to sleep. He was making the weapons, and programming them into the armor.

It was a good hour before he realized that Hope was waking up, and he came out, and went into the Bathroom to take a shower, which Hope had heard. He was talking with Kadeem and Seriune. Seriune had asked about Lightning, and Hope answered as best as he could.

Jared came out, and looked at Hope. "Go ahead in, and take a shower. You'll need it. Since I have Mercury Psynergy back, as long as its here, water's always ready."

Hope nodded, and decided to take a shower, while Jared fed the Wolves, and made _sure_ Seriune, Chris, and Kadeem ate. Those three had a partner, and he would _not_ let them suffer. When Hope came back out, they ate a bit, and Jared told him how to get out, which was actually quite simple now that he thought about it. "Just will yourself out? That's it?"

"What? You think you'd be able to move around in a no gravity zone on willpower alone, and you can't _leave_ on willpower? You think I'm stupid enough to change them when I'm one of the only ones to come here?"

"Point taken. But before we go, I have a question I don't think you want the others to know the answer to."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "You found Nabaat's Baton, didn't you?"

"So you did bring her along with us."

"Yeah."

"How did she live? She was hit with Ruin." Hope asked, actually confused.

"Didn't think it was possible for her to have a Magic Resistant undershirt. Seriously, it was much less effective than it should've been. The origin of that particular shirt was _not_ Cocoon, and I doubt it was Pulsian either."

Hope was obviously surprised. "That's why you brought her along? Because she was alive?"

Jared nodded. "I also gave her some information on the truth of what's going, who Dysley really is, what his goal is, and that you all are supposed to stop him, as am I. After I gave her the information, I told her to think on it, and I sent her out."

"Where did you send her?"

"Gran Pulse. I had an image in my mind of Oerba. You could ask Fang and Vanille about it. I'm sure they know. Dysley is probably wondering what the fuck's going on. Some are even wondering how competent the Sanctum is, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Yeah, I am."

"Alright then. Any other questions the others probably shouldn't know?" Jared asked.

"Not that I can think of."

Jared nodded, and they both willed themselves out.

-Fifth Ark-

The group of L'cie were wondering what was going on with the two, as they had yet to come out. Lightning was the least worried, but she was the only one awake at the moment. It was her watch. Jared and Hope came out of the Shadow at this point.

She looked at them. "You both get a good enough rest? You've been gone for 6 hours."

"Really?" Hope asked. "It felt like 10." He looked at Jared.

"It's why I only need 4 hours of sleep. Shadow Vault Time is twice as fast as normal time. I sleep for 5 to 8 hours in there, or meditate for 4 hours here. That's all the rest I need. After that, I use the extra time to get ready. If it's been 6 hours here, then it was really 12 hours. Just double the time."

Lightning raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "So, you see Seriune there?"

"Yeah. She's worried about you. I've been making sure she's properly fed, and with the way the others are training both her and Kadeem, she needs the rest."

"The feeling's mutual." Lightning admitted, knowing the others weren't awake. Jared then took the time to explain the actual Elements, or Scientific Elements as he called them. He explained how they work, and Hope was doing his best to listen, and realized that it was much easier to understand. Jared had memorized every single Element in his home world and a few others that weren't. He thanked Psycho for those. After he made sure Hope understood the structure and behavior of atoms, including the difference between Fission and Fusion, he got into the Compounds, Mixtures, and Molecules.

Hope had found these topics exceedingly easy to understand, which confused him. After he had finished explaining the Molecules, he spoke. "If you're confused at something I say, just tell me."

"It's not the explanations that confuse me." Hope admitted. "It's the fact that I can understand them so easily. I don't get that. I barely even understood most of that stuff before, but now... when you explain it, it seems much more easy to understand. But... it's just like Chemistry, right?"

"Yeah, that would be about right." Jared admitted.

"How you managed to retain that much information should surprise me." Lightning said, still the only one up. "What I'm more surprised at is the fact that I'm _not_ surprised that you have."

Jared and Hope looked at her, before looking at each other and shrugging. "Honestly? Eidetic Memory has its perks. I may have a few bad memories I wish I could forget, but I remember the good that came of them."

Hope shrugged. "Anyway, what else is there I should know from this?"

Jared looked back at Hope. "You're eager."

"You've actually caught my attention with this. It's... different, but now I know that I'll be using it in far more than anyone else. Any amount of information can help."

Jared smiled in response. "You're learning. Alright, the next topic is what certain materials are made of, like Minerals, metals, and alloys." Jared went into what he knew of metals, how they're made, what certain metals are made of, and the like. This was a lot more in detail than the Scientific Elements, which shouldn't have surprised either Lightning or Hope. They knew he had taken up Blacksmithing as a Hobby a while back.

However, Fang and Sazh had woken up during the explanation of the metals, and then for Alloys. Jared was the only one who knew they woke up, but continued on regardless. After each subject, he asked them if there was anything they didn't understand. Lightning didn't understand a few points, but managed to make sense of most of it. Same with Hope, but he had a question. "If Alloys are made of Metals, than why are they grouped differently?"

"That is a good question, mate." Fang pointed out. "I don't even know the answer to that one."

Lightning and Hope were surprised she spoke up, and was actually sitting up against the wall now. Sazh answered the question. "It's because Metallic Alloys aren't always made of Metals only. They have a few others too, but those are mostly ignored. I really only know this because it was a surprise question on the S-Class Piloting test in Eden. I actually guessed on that Question, and I got it right. I didn't understand why it was there, though."

"Irrelevant questions tend to pull a few legs, and whether they're apart of the score or not is unknown." Jared said. "That's something I found from experience. C-, B- and A- class cars where I'm from had a few of them. I was able to drive all of them, and ride any type of Motorcycle with my M-Class License. It was all tied into one, though. Never took a piloting Class, but out of all vehicles, I prefer Motorcycles."

"It's the feeling of wind running through your hair, isn't it?" Hope asked, earning a nod.

"Since Snow and Vanille are still out of it, I'll continue the Chemistry lesson for Hope. You don't have to listen, but the Chemistry is important for him to know. After that, there's Physics, but at the moment, Chemistry is more important. He's bound to break the laws of Physics anyway. I know I have." Jared shrugged, before continuing. Hope was asking a few questioned here and there, mostly How something works like that. Jared had essentially crammed 120 hours of Chemistry into a 2 hour time period, including the side conversations that the other 3 awake added in.

Vanille was the next to wake up at the end of the time period. He had covered every single lesson Chemistry could bring to the table. Jared raised an eyebrow at Snow. "We'll leave the Physics lesson for later. We should get moving."

"But Snow's not up yet." Vanille pointed out, before she noticed Jared had started to walk towards him, and put an image in his mind, causing him to wake up, as if scared shitless. He then looked around and saw he was still in the Ark.

He visibly calmed down. "Just a dream..." He shook his head. "More like a nightmare." He then noticed everyone looking at him. "What?"

"Care to share the nightmare?"

"Trust me on this one Sis. You don't want to know." Snow told her. His voice held none of his usual cheer and determination. No, the voice oozed a serious and dreadful vibe.

"How bad?"

Ignoring the fact she didn't correct him on the sister comment, he told her the best thing he could that say was accurate. "Best way to put it: you'd be screaming your head off, trying to claw out your own eyes if you saw it. And mean that literally."

"Please. I'd never do that." Lightning countered.

"It was bad enough that you _would_. I can almost guarantee it." Snow shivered.

Jared walked over to Lightning and whispered in her ear, causing her eyes to widen, as she looked at him in actual surprise. "You're kidding me."

"I shit you not."

Lightning just looked at Snow in pity. "Snow... I pity you for seeing _those two_." She then sent a look at Jared. "That image should be reserved for _torture_. Not waking someone up."

Jared shrugged. "I'm insane. You expect anything less?"

Lightning just stared at him for a moment before sighing. "I'm not sure if I should be surprised or pissed that I can't come up with a good comeback to that."

"Just be happy that it won't go on for hours." Jared told her, before bringing a lot of food out of his Shadow, and passed it around. "Eat up. Especially you, Hope. It's to put your new knowledge base to the test."

Hope nodded, ready for a quiz. "You memorized the RPG-7. Bring one out." Hope was half-ready for a quiz, but this was, ironically, slightly better. Especially when Jared followed. It took much longer for Hope to bring it out, but he did it. He was still new to explosives, but the new knowledge made it easier.

They both saw a group of Noctilucale. A large one. "Fire at will, Hope."

"Got it." Hope replied, as he aimed it, and pulled the trigger. He was slightly off on his aim due to the weight. Jared, however, made a single shot take out a lot of those that Hope didn't.

Where there was once 19 of them, there was now 5. Jared made another Rocket, and reloaded, before aiming and firing. "There goes the other five."

"How do you make the Rockets separate?" hope asked.

"It takes practice. Being able to make them is one thing. Diverting your will enough to make multiple weapons, or making something with another thing out is actually hard to do at first, but it's not impossible. Easiest way to practice bringing out multiple things out at once is through the Radar Missile. It's why I gave you the information on that first. Why do you think I can make 50 at once, and then another wave of 25, and then 10 more while the rest of them are still there? It's all practice."

Hope nodded, understanding it now. Jared then looked at Nue. "For now, use Nue, and summon Radar Missiles and have them target the enemy while using Nue. I'll do the same. No spells. Damage done by weapons made by Mechanical Summon give 50% more CP than Spells and normal weapons. Learned this from Thexterons in the Vile Peaks. At least it does for me. No spells aside from Synergist and Medic. For now, leave Commando, Saboteur and Sentinel alone. You're not ready to use Sentinel though, so I'd leave it out for now."

Hope nodded, and brought Nue out. Jared looked at the others. "We'll go on ahead separate from you guys. I have to oversee his training with this. You guys could help with your respective weapons, but those lesson can wait. For now, he has to get used to the ability."

The others nodded, and they walked, while Jared and Hope went along another route. Jared stayed behind Hope, Reaper in hand just in case, while Hope had taken on the weaker ones with Nue, and using Radar Missiles, though it was harder to make more than one when pressured. Apparently he could make 2 when he had time to concentrate, but when already in a fight, he could only make one, and it was weaker than usual. He sometimes threw Nue into the fray, used Shell and Protect on himself, as well as Haste.

But that ended up being a problem. Apparently, Haste increased his speed so much, he found it harder to concentrate, which surprised him slightly. He had waited for it to wear off, and when he did, he found it slightly easier to make a single Radar Missile. Jared took out a few that got too close to him without looking at the opponent he was stabbing. He merely watched Hope, but never let his guard down.

Jared and Hope went on a different path, and found a giant area, which Jared then saw another Spider. "Oh shit." _'And the Lightsworns won't help me this time.'_ **"Sorry, but we're not ready for another fight yet. We're still tired from the last one."**

_'I know.'_ "Hope, remember the restrictions I gave you for this training?"

"What about them?"

"Get to a higher ground, and be ready to pull out everything you've got and then some. When this thing attacks: Ignore all restrictions."

Hope was slightly confused, but did as he was asked. It was a good 12 feet higher than Jared was, it was along the wall, and nothing else was in the area.

That is, until he saw the Spider Jared was glaring at. Apparently, it was another Crimson Blackmould. Jared _immediately_ put up Mediguard, Titan's Guard, Steelguard and Vendetta in order from skin to surface, but then he added onto it, by going into his Dragoon Form. "Hope! Barrage the damn thing!"

"Right!" Hope was firing Spell after Spell, usually Fira, Aerora, and Blizzara, and added in Radar Missiles, and threw Nue, too.

The damage Nue did was much more than it probably should have. It did more damage to the Spider than the Lightsworns did, that's for sure. That was when Hope got an idea. "Jared! You using Vendetta over all that?"

"Yeah!" He grunted out. "Forget about what I'm doing! I'm fine!"

"Not why I asked!" Jared was able to use Reveal to see what Hope was looking at, and then noticed the smirk on the teen's face. _'what could he be smirking at?'_

Hope then used Enthunder, causing Nue to get the enhancement, he had Bravery on him already, and then threw Nue, making a particularly long scratch. It wasn't deep by any means. "Hit the scratch!" Hope shouted.

That was when Jared realized the plan. _'Weaken the shell, then use all the damage I absorbed with Vendetta and strike the same spot!'_ Jared then jumped towards the spot Hope had hit, and shouted out a single word. "Vendetta!" He went straight through the damn spider, and it fell to the ground, half dead. Jared was panting. That was tough going. He had felt Protect and Shell on him, but it wasn't doing much good, even with the 4 barriers, and Dragoon Armor. Jared had a Firaga in hand, and launched it, burning the damn thing. He was panting and gave Hope a thumbs up. "Crazy plan, Hope."

"It's only crazy if it doesn't work." Hope replied, coming down to Jared's level. "That was... tougher than a Greater Behemoth." Hope was slightly winded from that, and looked at the spot where the Crimson Blackmould fell. He got his breath back quickly, but looked at Jared. And used Curasa on him. Jared raised an eyebrow. "Even though you have no injuries, Curasa should help with the pain it still inflicted."

Jared nodded. He went back to normal, and they continued to walk off. They went on, and the others took 30 minutes to get to that particular chamber, where they saw the damage from a distance. Actually Sazh noticed it first. "I think Hope and Jared were here earlier." He said, pointing at the area.

"I'll check it out." Lightning jumped on the platforms along the wall, went past the point Hope was at earlier, and saw the scorch marks, and the tell tale sign of Jared using an extremely powerful Vendetta was in the air. He had used it a few times, but never to this extent. When she was done, apparently Fang and Snow managed to get there, while Vanille and Sazh were right behind them. "Fira was used here."

"Firaga too." Sazh stated. "And I know it wasn't me, even though I just learned it."

"It was Jared." Lightning said. "What's more is, he _also_ used Vendetta."

"What could make him go on the defensive?" Snow asked. "I mean, if he ran into another of those spiders, I wouldn't be surprised, but..." His eyes widened. "Oh shit."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Lightning stated.

"I _told_ him it was suicide!" Fang shouted in rage.

"And I told you it wouldn't have mattered." Lightning retorted. "It would've gone after him whether he tried to run, and can you really see him running from something?"

"You're talking about a guy that can stare death in the face and smile like a loon." Sazh pointed out. "I doubt he'd be afraid of a spider, and as such, he'd never run."

"He didn't run from PSICOM. They're not a threat to him, even in major numbers." Lightning added.

Fang sighed in irritation. "The guy's pushing it. He better not have gotten Hope involved."

"I doubt Hope was even noticed." Lightning pointed out.

Fang was still pissed that he ignored what she told him.

UP ahead, Jared and Hope were both taking smaller strikes. Hope was able to use more stealthy tactics, and Jared had helped, being a master in the art. Hope had found it surprisingly easy to adapt to. With Nue, the multiple ranged weapons, and his specialty being a Mage, Stealth was a boon. It meant he was rarely, if ever found. With Jared's small hints at how Stealth worked, he picked it up a _lot_ quicker than Jared did.

However, something else caught his attention during this. Hope had managed to learn Dark, which killed 3 Noctilucale when he first used it.

That cinched it for Jared. The fact that Hope was learning stealth so easily, and the fact that he used Dark, he knew that Hope had a pretty high affinity for Dark. The two were firing Dark every now and then.

The first rule of Stealth Fighting: If you're seen, make sure they're dead, or you've just landed the killing blow.

Hope had picked this up highly quick. Seeing Jared be more active in his training, and working on the Radar Missiles while using Stealth Tactics, he was doing a lot better. Hope was rarely seen by the enemies, but most didn't even see Hope. Then again, these weren't humans, or even intelligent beings. The Greater Behemoths were a bit tougher, but Hope was able to annoy the hell out of one of them using Stealth.

Jared had smirked, and used his own method. He hid in his own shadow, moved it, and fired a random spell, usually Ruinga, Thundara, or Firaga.

Missiles appeared in random places. The beast was having trouble keeping up, and it was enough to find them. He couldn't even smell all of his supposed targets. He only smelled one, but even _that_ was distorted so much that it couldn't pinpoint the position.

When it was finally weakened enough, Nue came from around a pillar, and the behemoth noticed, as did the upcoming L'cie. The thing was dealt a quick hit, but it didn't take it out.

The 4 Missiles that followed from 3 different directions, however did. 3 of them were Radar Missiles. The last one was an RPG. The beast fell to the ground, dead.

At this, Jared came out of his Shadow, and Hope came from behind another pillar, putting Nue up.

"You've gotten a lot better, Hope. Stealth is more your style, I guess." He commented.

"No kidding. It's actually a lot easier than frontline fighting." Hope admitted.

"You haven't spent any CP since we beat down that Spider together, have you?"

Hope shook his head. "Think I should now?"

"I'd be a good idea." Jared looked down the path. "I'm picking another humanoid. It's also a bad thing for us, because I _recognize_ this signature."

"Such as?" Lightning spoke up, announcing their presence. Jared didn't even bat an eyelash, while Hope blinked.

"Closest feels like Raines." Jared replied.

"What would Raines be doing here?" Snow asked, confused.

"What I wanna know is, why did you take on a _second_ Crimson Blackmould? I specifically told you _not _to fight them!"

Jared raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be able to run forever, Fang. I know this. It would chase me for eternity, which, at the moment, you guys don't have."

"Have you, at least, checked your brands?" Fang scratched her head in irritation.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "I haven't checked Hope's Brand, but I don't have to worry. I have no time limit. Hope does, last I checked, but I _know_ he knows what to look for."

Hope nodded. "Thing is, I've only checked it once since our powers were fully awakened. What it showed surprised me quite a bit." He took the bandana around his wrist, and showed the fully open brand. Fang and Vanille gasped at that. "It was surprising, because I saw that it was already completely open. I didn't tell Jared, nor did I ask why. I figured it could wait."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "You should've at least told me that it was fully open."

"Hey, we were working on my skills. It kind of seemed unimportant at the time. I was planning on telling you the next time we rested." Hope looked at the others. "I guess that's now though. How powerful is this threat, though?"

"If a Greater Behemoth is an A-Class, this would be an S-class. Not Barthandelus difficulty, but still up there." Jared told them. "If you're not fully prepared, I suggest you get that way."

Jared sat down, and started to Meditate, while Hope tried to follow his lead. He had succeeded, and found himself in his own Crystarium, with a faded starburst crystal in the center.

Jared had found himself in his own, the Crimson Kokiri crystal in the center, and Jain right there. "I doubt I'll be able to summon you for the next battle. You guys are still resting, right?"

"**Sadly, yes."** Jain replied. **"With the threat ahead, and the fact that we can't help you is not good. You'll need your friends to help. I doubt even a fully rested Hope would be able to help much."**

Jared nodded sadly. He had put as much CP as he had into Medic, which had given him Curasa, and a _lot_ of MATK and MDEF boosts. He had also learned Curaja. Apparently, he also found Stream of Life in there, highly early. He found it be the same as Lifestream Dragon's ability in his Dragoon Form, but had a mental Targeting system. It was also a lot more effective, being able to get rid of debuffs, and enhance buffs. The trade off with it, however, was that the more targets, the less effective it was.

He had gotten to the Seventh area, with a good bit to go to get to the eighth. Although, considering the fact that he was doing this more for Jenis than himself, he was more concerned about the abilities he gained than the stat boosts.

Jared was about to leave the Crystarium, but Jain stopped him. "Something wrong?"

"**Not really. But when you do face this threat, use my Sabre."**

Jared cocked his head in confusion. He didn't do this around others, but in the Crystarium he had nothing to worry about. "But don't you always have it on you?"

Jain shook her head. **"Not this one. The real deal will appear on your back when you leave here. Use that, instead of Reaper. That way, you'll have us at your side, even if we can't fight ourselves."**

Jared then figured it out, and vanished.

-Hope's Crystarium-

Hope had been using the Crystarium since the Gapra Whitewood. He had long since figured that he would need to level things himself. He had mastered Synergist, highly easily, in fact. It was actually a lot easier to get it down than he had thought. Medic was the next easiest, but he had also been putting a lot of CP in Ravager as well. He had nearly spent all he had. Ever since the Brand had opened without his knowledge, his Crystarium was a _lot_ larger than it probably should have been. He had just learned Thundaga from this one, but it was a longshot.

He looked down the Ravager and took note of each ability before spending the 80,000 CP he had gained. Stealth Tactics had helped _immensely_. It was definitely his field. _'Fire, Blizzard, Aero, Thunder, Fira, Water, Quake, Thundara, Watera, Blizzara, Dark, Aerora, Dispelga, and I just learned Thundaga. Looks like Darkra is next.'_

He had spent all of his CP in Ravager, so it wasn't much he could do now, so he left the Crystarium.

-Fifth Ark-

Jared had saw a new weapon at his waist, which was slightly surprising, but he recognized it by form, though it was sheathed. The scabbard was actually more of a cylinder than a normal one for a blade, which was only slightly weird for him. It was the Hilt that got to him, and it also helped him recognize it, even while Sheathed. There was golden wings going around the scabbard on opposite sides of each other, a golden material in the handle with a leather grip, that seemed accentuated with scales similar to the of Gragonith's scales. There was a slight difference from what he remembered, as there was nothing else, but everything pointed to it being the right one. _'I guess there are _some_ discrepancies between the real deal and the card, but still, it seems so insignificant.'_

**(It's so you can use it like you did Reaper. As long as your spirit is strong, it will be strong. This Sabre is yours now. Use it well.)** He heard Jain say.

_'Thanks, Jain. I owe you one.'_

**(Just use it well, and know that we are there to help you whenever and wherever we can.)**

Jared mentally nodded. _'Will do. Now I got figure out the abilities.'_

**(Aside from Shadow Cannon, it's the same as Reaper. Shadow Cannon is replaced by Holy Blast. It's something that Gragonith used to damage that Spider.)**

_'Oh... that's good. Really good.'_ Jared replied, before unsheathing it slightly, and seeing that the blade was made of pure Energy. He didn't think that was the case at first, and nearly cursed himself out for it. _'How did I NOT notice it was made of energy instead of it being metal with a Holy Aura down the blade?'_ Jared mentally asked himself, before sheathing it back up. Lightning looked at the new weapon, and was about to ask about it, but Jared beat her to it. "Gift from Jain. Asked me to use it in the upcoming fight."

"And its name?"

Jared hummed. _'Jain, did you name this thing?'_

**(No. I didn't use it enough to give it a name. Go ahead and name it, as it is now yours.)**

Jared thought for a moment. _'How about Angel Blade?'_

**(That's Celestia's blade.)**

_'Hmm...'_ He then heard Reaper's voice.

"_Name it Holy Reaper, while I change to Dark Reaper."_

_'Jain?'_

**(It should work.)**

_'Holy Reaper it is, then.'_

As everyone else had rested up, They got up, Jared having Holy Reaper over his right shoulder. Dark Reaper had been switched to the left shoulder. "Everyone ready for a fight?" They all nodded, even Hope, who had just gotten out the Crystarium himself.

"Then's let go. Hope, be ready for anything. That goes for the rest of you as well." Jared told them. "This is not something we can make light of."

Everyone nodded at that, and had a serious face on. They started to walk. _"Jared, the whole Dark Reaper, Holy Reaper thing is going to be a bit of trouble for some people to remember."_ He heard Reaper speak. _"I'll admit I wasn't entirely thinking, but now that I am, I think it would be a good idea to fuse both blades. Holy Reaper isn't sentient, but by doing this, I'll go into the new blade, and it'll keep its form and abilities as Holy Reaper, but also acquire my own. It may change the blade slightly, but it shouldn't do anything to the hilt."_

_'If I do that, I wait until after the fight. Got it? This is gonna be troublesome, but we have to do this.'_ Jared told the voices in his head.

**(Jared has a point, Reaper. Wait until after the fight. Use it to get used to Holy Reaper. Then fuse them, if you can.)**

"_I'm with Jain on this one."_ They heard Cerberus say. _"Better not to do so until after a major fight. This counts as a Major fight."_

"_I'm with Cerb and Jain as well."_ They heard another gruff voice. Jared hadn't heard from him in a while, but he knew who it was.

_'Dragon Horn?'_

"_Who else? But, I have one more stipulation to add. Fuse me into the new blade as well. It'll gain my abilities, but I won't go into it myself. It'll be the last you hear of me, though."_

**(I haven't heard you before, though.)** Jain pointed out.

"_I don't talk much."_ Dragon Horn replied.

_'So, we're effectively fusing 3 Blades into one, and using Holy Reaper as the base form. Is that right?'_ Jared clarified.

Cerberus. _"Yes."_

Dragon Horn. _"Yup."_

Reaper._ "Oh yeah."_

**(That would be right.)** Jain finished.

_'Got it. So... Reaper first, then add in Dragon Horn. Deal?'_ Jared asked, earning a round of "Deal" from all of them.

They continued down the hallway, and found another large room. It was who they saw that caused Jared to sigh. "I knew it."

For standing in front of them was the one person Jared had sensed.

Cid Raines.

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!

Alright, How will the fusion work? Will it even retain all abilities? Will the blade turn out how they think it will?

Hope's brand is completely open! How is he not a Ci'eth? Same reason as Jared? Or a different reason altogether?

Crimson Blackmould is essentially an 8 foot tall Black Widow with the legs of a Tarantula, Acid Breath, Acidic Saliva, and Poison Thread. It's defensive abilities are insane, far more than Paku, and _that_ is a big deal.

It's Physical Strength is _also_ immense, on the same level as the Physical Defense. The Magical Stats are _extremely_ low, but it also has an _extremely_ strong resistance to the normal 6 Elements. When its dead, the resistance is gone, and the carcass is _extremely_ weak to fire. Without the exoskeleton, however, it is _extremely_ vulnerable to Magic, although the Physical Defense is still high.

If you want a more accurate description here it is:

Name: Crimson Blackmould

Type: Feral Creatures

Subtype: Arachnids

HP: 890,000

Level: 80

Chain Resistance: 190

Break Value: 700%

Immunities: Poison, Deprotect, Deshell, Slow, Imperil, Curse, Pain, Fog, Daze, Death

Elemental Weaknesses:

Normal (With Exoskeleton)

Fire: Resistant

Ice: Resistant

Lightning: Resistant

Water: Absorbed

Wind: Halved

Earth: Resistant

Physical: Resistant

Magic: Resistant

Normal (Without Exoskeleton)

Fire: Weakness

Ice: Weakness

Lightning: Normal

Water: Halved

Wind: Halved

Earth: Normal

Physical: Normal

Magic: Weakness

Stagger (Exoskeleton Breaks off)

Fire: Weakness

Ice: Weakness

Lightning: Normal

Water: Normal

Wind: Normal

Earth: Normal

Physical: Normal

Magic: Weakness

Notes:

(With Exoskeleton)

-Can inflict Poison

-Can inflict Doom

-Can inflict Pain

-Delivers devastating Physical attacks

(Without Exoskeleton)

-Can inflict Poison

-Can inflict Doom

-Can inflict Pain

-Delivers Devastating Physical attacks

I am also pleased to note that you don't need to break the Exoskeleton off in order to get the bonuses for that point. You just need to make a hole big enough and launch the required element through said hole to gain the desired effect. Hope had that as an idea, and it worked. The fact that it had an Exoskeleton was a little strange, to be honest.

Anyway, that's all the information on that beast, and you can bet there will be _more_ of them to come.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!

FUCK YOUR SPIDERS! (I mean no offense to Spider lovers. I just hate the damn things)


	9. Fifth Ark, and an old friend

Alright, first up: Cid Raines!

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I no longer have the game, and I'm using online Walkthroughs on YouTube to get most of my information. The one by ZybakTV, mostly.

I've been hopping around, for the most part. I don't remember most of the Fifth Ark, just some of what I've seen. The Raines Boss battle will be a lot easier with Jared, but it won't be a cinch.

Alright, onward! TO BATTLE!

**Chapter 9**

The group of L'cie were staring at the man in front of them. Why? Because only two of them knew he was a L'cie: Jared and Fang.

Snow, in a rare stroke of genius, spoke up. "Why are you here, Raines?"

"Raines... You traitor!" Lightning rushed, but Jared didn't stop her. Raines dodged her initial slash by sidestepping the strike. She turned at sent two more strikes with Blaze Omega, but they were blocked with something on his hand, before he grabbed her wrist, flipped her over, and her Gunblade went flying into the air. He wasn't able to catch it, because Jared already had it in hand.

Well timed Catch Psynergy did wonders, and only Hope knew it. Raines pointed at the other L'cie, Jared included. "I put you on the path. That was my Focus."

"You're a L'cie?" Snow was obviously surprised. Sazh, Hope and Fang were not. Jared knew about this. It was one of the hardest battles in game. _'Took me 17 tires to finally beat him. That Seraphic Ray was a bitch to contend with.'_ He thought.

"Since long before we met." Raines replied.

Sazh just looked at Jared, before looking Raines in the eyes. "You know, I should be surprised, but all things considered, there's probably nothing you could do or say after what Jared's done to this group."

Raines looked at Jared, but shook his head. "I did my best to assist you, as bid by the Sanctum Fal'cie." His arm went down, and Lightning was back up, and getting her Gunblade back from Jared.

"Now do you understand?" he continued. "The Fal'cie have watched over you, guiding your every step. The "Luck" that saved you time and again, was a deliberate Machination. Why, you may ask? The Primarch- or should I say Barthandelus- is crafting you into the instruments of Cocoon's Demise."

"The Primarch ain't running the show here anymore." Jared retorted, staring at Raines. "_I am._"

"I still can't seem to figure out why a Cocoon Fal'cie wants to destroy Cocoon." Sazh admitted.

"Why?" Raines echoed. "To restore the Maker."

"The Maker?" Hope asked, before looking at Jared. "Isn't that _your_ employer?" Jared nodded in response.

"The Maker is the Entity that created Humans, and Fal'cie." Raines started.

_'Bullshit! She told me herself she didn't do ANY of that. She had the help of Ouranos from the Greeks in the Prime Realm to do THAT!'_ Jared thought, but didn't comment.

Raines then went into a story...

Long ago, the Maker departed this world, leaving the two races behind. In a sense, Human and Fal'cie are brothers – Orphaned by the same Parent.

As for the humans, they forgot the Order imposed by the Maker.

_Jared mentally called Bullshit on that one._

They began to war amongst themselves for the first time in history.

_That I can see happening anyway._

The Fal'cie focused on recalling their lost Deity, and returning the world to its Former Glory. This purpose, lies at the heart of ALL their actions.

_'She ain't gonna do squat for them. It's why she called me in.' Jared thought._

With the story complete, Raines continued. "Calling back the Maker, requires a fitting sacrifice."

"Yeah, we've heard." Lightning started. "The Destruction of Cocoon."

"The lives of this world's entire populace, in a bloody tribute."

Sazh mumbled to himself. "No...That's crazy talk." He then glanced at Jared, who hadn't commented once. "Then again, not as crazy as him." Jared glanced his way, but didn't comment.

"Why do they need us?" Hope asked, though he already had an inkling of an idea.

"Their existence is bound to the creation and maintenance of this floating shell. It is their very nature, that holds them in check." Raines answered.

"So, Cocoon Fal'cie can't destroy Cocoon? Same with their L'cie?" Hope asked, earning a nod from Jared, which was noticed.

"If we can stop this by doing nothing, then..." Vanille was cut off.

"Finish that sentence, and say goodbye to the memories everything you love." Jared stopped her from finishing it, while Fang glowered at him.

"Why fight? You are not as noble as I had thought." Raines said, looking at Jared.

"Long story short, you lied to us, you don't know the truth, you're being a Fal'cie Slave, and now you want to kill us to prevent us from killing Orphan, my target. Is that about right?" Jared questioned, with a raised eyebrow.

"Mostly. I know more of the truth than you think." Raines stated.

Jared smirked. "Then how come the Maker sent me here? How come she wanted me to destroy Orphan? How come she told me that she needed _help_ to create the balance between the Fal'cie and Humans? If the Maker created humans, then how come there are places unknown to this world with humans? Places the Maker cannot reach? You speak some truth, I'll admit that. With the Maker supposedly gone, wars started up. It's not Human nature to start wars. Here, let me tell you a little story about the connection between Humans, Wars, and Insanity."

The scene shifted immensely before they were in a dark area with no light, or objects. Then it switched to a myriad of colors: Orange, a bit of blue and yellow in a triple helix, Black and more Red in a Double Helix, White, Silver, and more blue in another Triple Helix, all of which in a bit of a flaming Helix pattern, that rotated around the area, with a Crimson Background. "Welcome to the Realm of the Crimson Dragoon. It is where I shall tell you the story."

-story-

Long ago, when a world was young, and Humans were born into the world, along with several others. There were some large and powerful, others small and weak. Animals of all shapes and sizes grew to live on the world. Beasts of Legend, Beasts of commonplace.

Among those that were commonplace, there were Humans. In this world, there was one more that was known widely: The Winglies. _A picture of Melbu Frahma appeared (The one in Rose's Flashback)_

They were a proud race, able to use Magic without any external source, or marking. Their free will lead them to use this ability in arrogance. Believing them to be above all other races, and species, they took to enslavement. Anyone not borne of Wingly blood was made a slave. The Winglies had been the ruling body for years, their known creator, Soa, had watched this all with disdain. She, yes Soa is female, had saw what Melbu had done with his ascension to the Leader of the Winglies.

She had looked for a Champion. Someone to lead a rebellion, and have the Determination, Will and charisma to pull it off. Her search had lead her to a Human named Diaz. She gave him information, and told him what she wanted. She needed someone to defeat Melbu, and set the world straight. The topic of "How" came into play. She told him what he needed to do. Something that, if it worked, would lead him to victory.

Thus lead to the beginning of something new: The Dragon Knight, or as they're commonly called in this world, the Dragoon. Diaz had led a group of seven against the Winglies. These Seven Dragoons, were powerful fighters in their own right. That power was amplified by their respective Dragoon Spirit.

Zieg Feld, bearer of the Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit. His Element was Fire, for the intense Passion he possessed. _A blonde Haired man in Burnt Orange Armor similar in shape to Jared's Dragoon armor and Dark Orange wings appeared. His eyes were blue, and his hair was spiked in all directions, along with bearing a sword that had 3 more blades going towards the back._

Rose Feld, Fiance to Zieg and bearer of the Black Burst Dragoon Spirit. Her Element was Dark, due to her self imposed loneliness until Zieg came into her life. _Next to Zieg, Rose Feld, a female in Dark Purple Armor with what seemed to be a similar style in shape to Zieg's, but more fit for a female body with a Plate skirt, holding what seemed to be a Light blade with a single edge, and wings similar in shape to Zieg's as well appeared. Her hair was a a dark Raven color, and her eyes a Chocolate Brown._

Syuviel, Poison Master and bearer of the Jade Dragoon Spirit. His element was wind, and was definitely the most curious man. _Next to Rose stood Syuviel, with his Jade Green armor in an identical style to Zieg, just a different color, and brighter colored Wings. In his hand was a Lance which Fang recognized as the one Jared used in the Palamecia. He had Sandy Blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore glasses._

Damia, the Half Mermaid, Half Human and Bearer of the Blue Sea Dragoon Spirit. Her Element was Water, due to the flexible nature, slightly childish thoughts, and half of her blood. _As she appeared next to Syuviel, she had sky blue hair, and Deep green eyes. Her armor was more in a Leotard Style stopping just above her breasts, in a Pale blue color. She worse boots and a 3-point Tiara of the same color and material as the Leotard-style armor. The boots went up to right below her knees, and had a 3 inch heel on each one. In her hands was a giant hammer, that, of the group, only Jared, Snow, and Fang was predicted able to lift._

_And they weren't that far off, either._

Belzac, Gigantos, Gentle Giant and bearer of the Golden Dragoon Spirit. He was an Earth element, mainly due to his protective nature of the innocent. _A Large Hulking man stood next to Damia, in a Dark Gold armor that was just as bulky as he was. He had nothing on his head, only parts of his upper legs were shown, but not much. His wings were also larger than the others, and he looked the heaviest of them all so fast. In his hands was a Giant Axe that looked to be made of Stone._

Kanzas, martial arts master, origin of the Rogue Style, and bearer of the Violet Dragoon Spirit. He was bloodthirsty, but also too energetic, thus his Element was Lightning. _An old man that really did give off the appearance of a Martial Arts master, appeared. His hair was a dark brown, he had a small goatee, and had a headband that was Bright blue in color, though not as bright as Damia's. His armor was of the same color, but only covered the torso, parts of the waist, bottom half of the legs, feet, forearms, and shoulders, along with some guards on the hands. He not only looked like a Martial Artist, but dressed like one too. However, none could ignore the Bloodthirsty look in his eyes._

Shirley, a Healer and Archer, and bearer of the White Silver Dragoon Spirit. Her element was Light for her mostly pure heart, and willingness to help others, whenever they may need it. _The female that appeared had chestnut brown hair, matching eyes, and held a bow that Lightning Recognized. It was the same in shape to the one Shana had before this all began. Her armor was a bright Silver, in the shape of Rose's Armor, and gave off an aura of its own. The wings on her armor were much brighter than the others, too. Her greaves were slightly higher than Rose's, cutting off just above the knees in the front, and below them in the back._

These seven warriors, the Original Seven Dragoons, could each take on a Platoon of Winglies with ease, and they were more plentiful that PSICOM's Platoons, reaching numbers of 70 and up.

_At this, everyone looked at him in surprise._

These seven warriors were not gifted with Magic at birth, aside from Damia, but was given the ability through their Dragoon Spirit: The Spirit of the Dragon they draw their energy from.

The Dragoon Form was originally created to beat the Winglies, but it had an unintended side effect: The user would slowly go insane with each use. For you see, using the Dragoon Spirit fused your soul with that of the corresponding Dragon. That fusion increased the levels of Insanity, as well as power. Insanity brought on a war, known to the locals of this world as The Dragon Campaign. Each of the Seven Dragoons had fought, and all but two died in the fighting.

In the final Battle, where Melbu was supposedly killed by Zieg, Zieg had been afflicted by Petrification, and had stayed that way for over 11,000 years, only to find that time had dissolved his curse. He had few memories, which had returned in time, but he knew the war was over. Winglies were gone. He had helped free them. He wandered the world, hanging on to the only memento he had of his friends: The Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit. He had seen no need for it.

Rose Feld, still the fiance of someone she had thought dead for the same amount of time as he was petrified, had taken up the role of the world's sole savior. In the process, she created an alias, and one she regrets to this day: The Black Monster.

The Black Monster was said to be the Devil Incarnate. All it ever caused was destruction. The form held no trace of her full blown Human Lineage, and as such, no connection was made to her. She had created this alias to save the world from something she had known was bad: The God of Destruction.

She had been alone for all that time, never once hearing about Zieg, going to a self made Monument every century to his honor. She had gone on, and worked under a Wingly, ho had, at first, been her enemy.

However, this had all changed, when the 108th time the Black Monster had arrived. Her target was Louvia, the Moon Child, whom held the Soul of the God of Destruction. She had torn apart a city called Neet, in the Country of Millie Seseau: A Place where I had been a Knight for 18 months prior.

_When Jared said this, he showed the armor he wore, which bore a striking resemblance to the one he wore now. Just different colors, and the symbol had changed._

I had known of all this long before it was to happen. I had set up a plan for the Knights in Millie Seseau. What had happened was that Rose had missed a single Child, a mistake she had never made before. Louvia was killed, yes. However, her twin sister, was not. The sister was sent away from Millie Seseau, to a small town in Serdio called Seles.

However, in the Village of Neet was the Former Dragoon Zieg Feld, his wife, Claire Feld, and his 5 year old son: Dart Feld.

At first, the three were the only ones to make it out alive. _It showed Zieg in robes, a strawberry blonde female, and a young child looking like Zieg for the most part, just smaller._

However, Zieg couldn't sit still. He had lost a home one. He lost everyone he had cared for with the Dragon Campaign. He refused to let that happen again. He ran back into the city, followed shortly by his wife. However, he had done something that was a mistake, and set the world onto the path of destruction: He had accessed the power of the Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit.

How was this a mistake?

Because when Melbu petrified him all those years ago, he had placed a portion of his own soul set for that very moment. Claire had seen this, and called out to him. He turned his sword on his wife, no longer in control of his own body. Claire had survived the attack, but Zieg had flown off, leaving the Red Eye Dragoon Spirit behind.

That day, Claire would have died, but as I had seen Zieg fly away from the destroyed town, I went in, and found her. I had saved her from true death that day. Zieg would not have killed her, and he had managed to keep Melbu from doing so. However, her woulds were still severe. Had I not gone back and gotten her out of there, she would have been consumed by flames.

Melbu was still around, and for 18 years, he had stayed silent, until the Second Coming of the Dragon Campaign started with Dart Feld, son of Zieg Feld, at the helm.

Fight after fight, Dart went through, and had gone into a prison to break out his childhood friend, and partial sister, Shana. She had no idea of who her parents were, or her origins. She also did not know I had been watching over her at her mother's request. She had become a Dragoon: Shirley's Replacement. Dart had become his father's replacement for the Red Eye Dragoon.

They had come across a Knight of Basil, Lavitz Slambert. He had become the Jade Dragoon, though he didn't have it for long, being replaced by his Lord and Best friend, King Albert.

Along the way, Rose had joined them, claiming them to be interesting, but really she was watching over Shana as well, Looking for any signs that she might want to destroy everything. She had shown none. She was meek and shy in the beginning.

Haschel, Claire Feld's father, and practitioner of the Rogue Style, had joined them, and become a Dragoon as well: Kanzas's replacement. _Less bloodthirsty, too._

At this point, they had five of the Original Dragoons. I had been with Shana since Dart had broken her out, and I traveled alongside them, keeping to my word of making sure Shana was safe. They had traveled into Tiberoa, the land of the South, chasing the man working for Melbu.

_The realm showed a picture of a Platinum Blonde haired man. He held a short blade with two edges, black clothing with Hive patterns on the shirt, and Leather boots._

Throughout Tiberoa, they had found out about a replacement, and took care of it. Along the way, they found Claire's old friend, and Haschel's former student: Gehrich. Gehrich had joined them, and then Kongol, the last surviving Giganto, joined shortly. Holding onto the Golden Dragoon Spirit, I gave it to Kongol on the spot, as he was chosen by it.

Meru, a Wingly herself, had joined the crew. I was the only one that knew she was a Wingly at the time, but it wasn't my secret to tell. As such, no one found out from me. After some time, we had come across someone that claimed to love Lloyd: Lenus.

She was another Wingly, and, at the time, bore the Blue Sea Dragoon Spirit. It was the only one of the Original Seven we didn't have.

However, she made a mistake in using Mind Control on a close friend of mine. Long story short, there was no trace of her left.

And she was in Dragoon Form, when I did it. _He showed the fight, and what happened. (See the prequel: Dimensional Guardian: Book I, Chapter 17)_

_They had all stared in shock. Jared had that much power in his hands, and he didn't use it?_

Honestly, most would think that people would learn not to piss me off. Lenus had to learn that the hard way.

By way of reparation, Regole, the Dragon that was also my friend, had allowed Gehrich to turn her into a Dragoon Spirit, which he then owned.

Then it was on to Millie Seseau, following the trail laid by Lloyd. Then came the Divine Dragon. She was known by humans as the King of all Dragons, but was female. Helps when you could talk to her. A long time before this point, she was sealed into a Volcano.

The Divine Dragon also had a name, which she told me: Ragnarok. _Everyone present looked at Jared in surprise, and then at the picture of the 7 winged dragon._

I believe that this world's Ragnarok, and the Divine Dragon are two entirely different Ragnaroks, and this Dragon had become a Dragoon Spirit thanks to Lloyd.

Lloyd held onto the Divine Dragoon Spirit and fled. He took Shana's mother, Queen Theresa, hostage in order to get one more object for Melbu.

We, as Dragoons, stopped him, but I had left the choice of his fate to Dart. In the end, Lloyd followed us, and led us to Melbu, who still had Zieg's body.

Zieg now had all the items required, and Shana had been taken prisoner.

He brought down the Moon That Never Sets, which landed on the Divine Tree, which was originally planted by Soa, with the help of 2 other gods.

We had gone to the Moon That Never Sets, and had to go through a series of tests. The Original Seven Dragoons, Gehrich, myself, and another Guardian by the name Jennifer Blackmoore, all had a Dragoon Spirit at the time, and we each had our tests. My test... wasn't even a test.

_Jared looked at Fang. _I had seen someone that is currently present, and should have been crystallized. They had no connection to me at the time but now I see why. I'm working with her on my current assignment.

We had confronted Zieg, who then took back his Dragoon Spirit from Dart. The two had fought, and they were pretty even. _The realm showed Dart and Zieg clashing._

Eventually, it was time for Melbu to fuse his soul with the body and power of the God of Destruction. What happened then? Instead of telling you, I'll show you.

_It replayed the events of what happened. Jared sending them out, what he did, and the resulting fight. (Final Chapter of Book I) They all watched as he threw the bomb, and then went out through a Shadow, but it didn't shift, before the entire place was obliterated._

That was the true end of Melbu Frahma and the God of Destruction. Insanity caused all of this, the Human mind had been affected. War broke out. War always breaks out because of one insane person going too far. Look at the Winglies.

Their Insanity came to light, and War broke out by humans wielding Insanity as a weapon.

-Story end-

Jared looked at the others, as the area fade back into the Fifth Ark. They all looked at Jared, whose face held a stony gaze.

Even Raines was surprised.

"I lost the right to call myself human when I was a week old, due to me being a Dimensional Guardian. You, Raines, may be a L'cie, but at least you are still alive. You are no less human now than you were when you were born." Jared told him. "Just as these guys are no less human for becoming L'cie. That would only apply if they turn Ci'eth. Crystal Stasis is jut a form of preservation. Their life force will not fade, and the body will simply stay in one place in their own little Space-Time continuum."

Everyone looked at him, but Raines was hiding his fear well... Except from Hope. Somehow he picked up Raines' fear. And Hope knew why that was, too.

Hope had picked up on the feeling of everyone in the area. Fang was more surprised and shocked than anything else, but was still ticked off for some reason. Lightning... he found that she was frustrated, and the source of it was Jared, but there was no irritation, confusion, or any other emotion tied to it. Vanille was mainly surprise, and slight fear. No surprise there.

Snow was still leaking his determination, but now was more happy that Jared was on their side, and was not following Barthandelus. Hope had to agree there.

Sazh, on the other hand, was actually surprised, shocked, and had a slight amount of fear, should Jared turn on him. Again, that was understandable.

He looked at Jared. "Do all Guardians have the ability to read emotions?"

"Not naturally, no." Jared replied. "but that's not why we're here."

"Well, I can." Hope said, causing to blink a few times. "Mind telling me why Fang seemed ticked off at you?"

"Hmm... Probably the Crimson Blackmould you and I faced off with after we split off from them."

"It's because she said it was suicide to solo it, isn't it?"

"Most likely."

They all heard Raines clear his throat. Jared and Hope sensed a portal nearby. Jared found it by the signature, which was familiar. Hope found it by the emotions of the person.

"Yes, Raines?" He slightly mocked the Former Calvary soldier.

"I wish to face you. One on one." Raines said. "After what I just saw and heard, I must know if you can continue my dream."

"The one where the people lead Cocoon?"

"The very same."

"You expect us to sit back and let you fight him?" Lightning questioned, Blaze Omega ready to strike.

Jared just calmly walked up to Raines, and drew Holy Reaper with his right hand, Cerberus in his left. Then he glowed and went Dragoon. "You want to face my full power? So be it." His face had lost all traces of playfulness, leaving nothing on his face but an emotionless stare.

Hope felt it as well. All his emotions were now gone. _'He got rid of them?'_

Lightning was about to charge in, but was stopped by a barrier. "Jared! Drop this barrier NOW!" She shouted.

Jared turned his head slightly to the right. "Rose."

A woman in Blue armor with a Gold trim walked up to them. "Been a while, Shadow."

"That it has." Jared's tone was emotionless. Empty. There was nothing. "You mind keeping the barrier up? And put one around yourself, while you're at it. This... will be Lenus all over again. This is not a matter of rage. It is a matter of views."

Rose nodded at that, before putting herself in another barrier. Raines gathered his own energy. "If you are going this far then so shall I!" His form shifted.

His right arm was now more crystal, along with his head. It was a partial Ci'eth Transformation.

"Shall we begin?" Jared asked, before blocking a right hook from Raines with his left forearm. "You're fast." He commented, no surprise or humor in his voice, before he vanished, and Raines went flying over the edge of the platform, Jared reappearing as if doing a Donkey Kick in mid-air. He then went up, and followed after him into the greener area, still floating.

"You will not win!" Raines shouted, firing several Ruin spells at Jared, who simply swatted them away as if they were nothing. Everyone watching saw this, and Rose was the only one not surprised he could do that.

Jared just stood there, deflecting the Ruin spells as if they were nothing. He then started glowing, and the next Ruin went straight through his form, which then vanished. Raines had managed to block the kick with his right arm, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

Raines jumped back quickly. "Raines. You are nothing before me in a fight. I did not fight like this against Melbu. I did not send my emotions into the atmosphere then. I did now. Now, there is nothing to hold me back. No morals, no emotions, no sentiments."

He raised the arm, and fired several shots in rapid succession, each of which hit Raines, and did a lot of Damage. HE then used Curasa on himself multiple times, but after the third, he was already hit by an extremely powerful bolt of Plasma: Spark Plasma.

Both of Jared hands were now covered in Lightning, before it spread across his entire body, before he charged at the ground below Raines, who jumped back to avoid it. He didn't know what was going on, so he thought it missed.

Rose was the only one who knew, though. Jared came from underneath him, no sign he was coming up at all, before he did and launched the man into the air, still surrounded by Lightning, before he rerouted the Lightning to both hands, put them at his side, and _threw it_. Raines was able to shift into his Defensive Mode, and managed to survive the attack. He then started to mutate.

"My will is my strength!" Raines shouted, before going into the air, about to launch his Seraphic Ray.

Jared, knowing what was coming, countered it with something else. Apparently, he had saved this. Several points all over his body glowed, and released concentrated lasers from each spot, which countered the Seraphic Ray, neither doing any damage.

Then the aerial battle had begun. Jared a right cross, which was blocked by his left hand, and Raines sent a right straight in response, which was caught by Jared's left hand. The Gatling on his left wrist turned slightly and launched a White and Green beam, as Jared whispered two words. "Cosmic Blast."

It hit Raines straight in the face, causing him to back up, as did Jared, who immediately threw two Ruinga, one from each hand.

Raines managed to recover in time, and was able to dodge them both, causing them to sail past him, and into the wall. However, he made a mistake the moment he did.

Jared was now in front of him, two Black Spheres in his hands, and he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge them at that range. Jared made direct contact with both spheres, both touching right where the lungs were.

_Then_ he released the magic in them both, revealing them to be a Darkja. Raines fell to the ground, and managed to heal himself, but to no avail, as he was pierced with Holy Reaper, which started to drain energy from him, which then went to Jared, who felt the energy boost.

Rose commented on this, eye twitching. "Why did he have to take my personal favorite?"

Raines, unable to finish healing, fell to his knees, and Jared sent a Ruinga from his left hand, a Darkja from his right, and a Holy Blast from his mouth.

The combined spells ended up causing a massive explosion, causing Rose to whistle at the damage caused by it.

Jared then landed in the smoke, before it cleared, showing a beaten and defeated Cid Raines. "Raines, you have lost. Time to finish this."

"Give me one request." Raines croaked out.

Jared waited. "Go on."

"Save Cocoon... Don't let Barthandelus win... Give Cocoon to the people... as it should be."

"I was going to do that either way." Jared said.

Raines nodded, and then he flashed, now being a Crystallized form of his former self, but Jared now had a Crystal tear, from the guy, as he was taken up.

No one had known what was going on, aside from Jared.

Rose dropped the barriers, and Lightning ran over and stopped next to Jared, who was frowning. "Raines..." He shook his head, and looked at the others. "Sorry guys, but I needed to do that. He asked me to give Cocoon back to the people. Something he wanted to do. He couldn't do it, so he wanted me to do so instead." he held up the Crystal Fragment. "This fragment holds a message from him to us. I'll play it for you all."

-the message-

_L'cie, I do not wish for the destruction of Cocoon, but I wish for Barthandelus to win even less. Don't lose sight of your dreams. Your will. Your strength. I came, not by the Fal'cie order, but my own will. I needed someone to put my faith in, in the case I should fail in my task._

_Do what you believe to be right. Follow your heart. Don't give in to your Focus. Make it what you wish it to be. Do what you know is right. Trust yourselves._

The message was cut off. He looked at the others, who seemed to be in thought about his words, aside from Rose, who walked up to Jared. She then slapped him across the cheek. "what was that for?" he asked, confused, but not in pain.

"Taking my favorite move." She told him.

"I used it when I faced an enemy trying to heal itself. It stops their healing, deals damage, and I get the healing, and then some." Jared replied. "Not sure if you knew that, though."

"I did."

Jared nodded. "And if you're wondering why I didn't use Death Dimension, it was pointless to use on a single opponent." He then unsheathed Reaper, and made Dragon Horn appear. He crossed both Reaper blades, and then chanted a few words in a language that Rose didn't understand. The two glowed, and the blade took on a Gray hue, but was still an Energy Blade.

Then he unsheathed Dragon Horn, and put the blade over the new Reaper. He chanted a similar incantation, though the differences were notable. The blade then took on another color. It began to alternate between White, Black, and Green, before it settle on a triple helix blade made of energy. The hilt made no change, but he knew he could no longer use the original Sheath.

He wondered to to call the new weapon. _'Dragon's Twilight...'_ The name simply came to him. Light, Dark and Dragon all combined into one. _'Either that or the Twilight Dragon. Jain, which one do you think is better?'_

**(Twilight Dragon. No contest.)**

"_Agreed."_ Cerberus added.

"_Damn that felt weird!"_ They heard Reaper's voice.

"_Reaper?"_

"_Uh... Who's Reaper?"_

"_You're the sword, aren't you?"_

"_Yeah, why?"_

Jared looked at the sword. _'Nothing, you just sound like one of my past weapons I can no longer use.'_

"_He broke down?"_

_'You could say that.'_ Jared told the sword. _'Well, what do you feel about being called Twilight Dragon?'_

"_Hmm... I feel Light and Dark in me... And then... Yeah, that'll work."_ Twilight replied.

Jared nodded with a smile, before he lost it. _'Uh... how do I sheath you?'_

"_Just will the blade away."_ Twilight answered.

Jared blinked and did just that. The blade went into the hilt, and both wings folded in, Jared reverting back to his normal state, and he hooked it onto his waist. "Twilight Dragon. The combination of the Lightsworn Sabre, Reaper, and Dragon's Horn. Light, Dark and Dragon slaying... It'll be an effective weapon. Doesn't hurt that the blade is pure energy."

he then realized Snow had run off. He looked at the others, and saw that Rose, Hope, and Lightning were the only ones that hadn't run off after him. Instead, they stared at _him_. "Now that you're done naming your new toy, let's get going." Lightning told him, earning a nod and a smile.

Rose and Hope followed the two to find the others at an elevator. They activated it, and it went down. Jared just raised Cerberus into the air and fired off 6 shots, causing 3 Circuitrons to fall to the floor they were on. They were already dead. He quickly put Cerberus back in his holster.

Jared and Rose were now talking about random things, though mainly their travels. Hope just decided to listen to their conversation. Jared had already told him that she was a Guardian.

Snow was mostly silent, which was concerning to those present, aside from Rose. She then posed a question that piqued her interest. "Is he supposed to be like this?" She pointed at Snow, causing everyone but him to look at her.

"Rose... Snow is almost _exactly_ like Dart ideal wise." Rose just raised an eyebrow. "Determined, would give his life for his friends, possibly a Juggernaut when it comes to taking hits, wants to protect everyone, and Loyal to a fault?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Hmm... yeah, that's bound to annoy some of the people around him, but when push comes to shove he gets the job done."

"That's Snow for you." Lightning commented. "Jared mentioned Dart, but gave no specific details until recently. Care to share?"

"Well, from what I just found out, Dart and Snow over there are alike in personality and mindset for the most part. Dart may not be as much of a Juggernaut as Snow, as I haven't seen him fight, but Dart is _definitely_ a good fighter. After all, he can match me at my best. That was when I left Endiness. He outmatched me. His father, who is still alive, was impressed that Dart was able to best my Stage 2. I doubt you know of my Stage 2, and I'd rather not explain it."

Jared just stared at her, in surprise. "Seriously? He could match you as the Black Monster?" Rose nodded.

"Yeah. Surprised me too. Now, he doesn't even need to use the Divine Dragoon Spirit. To match me as a Dragoon. The only one that he ever truly uses it for is when I go Stage 2. I had trained Shana in as much as I could, but other than that, I was making sure Dart was okay. He may have married Shana, but she's a Guardian. He's not. Her stamina increased before I left, and she's also learned quite a bit of my style, but she still prefers Tsuki. I swear, I think you made that thing a little _too_ clingy."

Jared scratched the back of his head. "Yeah... I figured that when we landed in Fueno."

"Just making sure you knew." Rose admitted. "Any other relations to the group in here?"

"Light's almost exactly like you were. Detached, strong, and pretty much balanced in her skills. Her favored weapon is the Gunblade, which I also gave her for her birthday."

"You make it yourself?" Rose asked, actually curious.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "You expect any less?"

She shook her head in response. "Any other works in use right now?"

Jared looked at Hope and nodded. Hope took out Nue. "That's Nue. I built it after I left Endiness, with parts of the structure from Mayfil. It's quite literally a Boomerang from Hell."

"I'll say. Mayfil is the closest to hell I've ever seen." Rose commented.

"You keep mentioning Mayfil, and saying that it's the worst place to ever go, but you never say where it is, or how to get there, so we can avoid it." Sazh pointed out.

"Kid, Mayfil is in Endiness. Not Cocoon or Gran Pulse. You don't have to worry about it, but I have a feeling he sugarcoated a lot of what he may have told you about the place." Rose pointed out.

"If you're a Guardian, which I'm assuming is true, how old are you?" Lightning questioned.

"**I'm actually 11,737 years old."** She spoke in the Guardian Language. Fang and Hope had their eyes widen.

"That old and you _still_ look young?" Fang asked, surprise in her voice.

"I didn't understand any of what she just said." Lightning pointed out.

"Fang, I didn't think you'd be able to understand that language." Jared pointed out.

"What are you talking about, mate? I heard her plain as day." Fang told them.

"So did I." Hope added.

Jared just looked at them all. "Show of hands, who understood her?" Fang and Hope were the only ones to raise their hands. "Well, congratulations. Your life has been fucked over."

"I already knew that." Hope pointed out.

"The moment we were branded our lives were fucked over." Sazh retorted. "How are they any different?"

"Because, if you raised your hand, you're effectively a Dimensional Guardian." Lightning raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Snow just looked at him. "How can you be sure?"

"That language can only be understood fully by a Dimensional Guardian." Jared explained. "That language can be spoken by any Guardian, understood by any Guardian, but no one else. Someone like me, who can speak in over 30 different languages, can alternate between at least 7 of them and still have the right message. A Linguist wouldn't be able to make sense of it, even if they recorded it and translated each word. They would get the wrong message, or not even be able to do anything about it. Heck, I do so with up to 18 different languages, depending on the length of the message."

"He's right. As it stands, only a Dimensional Guardian will know how old I really am." Rose told them.

Hope and Fang looked at each other and then at Jared. "I think I just figured out why I met you in the Moon." Fang pointed out.

"Yeah. Didn't think you'd be a Guardian." Jared admitted.

Fang then went silent, and the elevator stopped. "Looks like we're at our floor." Jared said, getting up. Everyone else followed suit and went down the hall, through the door, which Rose was slightly impressed at, though she hid it well. Only Hope knew the truth.

They went across a walkway, found a few Phosphorus Oozes and a Pulsework Knight, which was promptly taken care of with ease. Even Rose was good enough to face off with them, surprisingly the others. They didn't comment though. She was a Dimensional Guardian, and they learned not to question their abilities from Jared.

They went down a bit from a platform, to a incline going down. At the bottom, they were at another trail with 3 more Oozes and 2 Pulsework Knights. They were simple to take care of. Rose didn't even deem them worthy enough of the Dragoon form, much less Stage 2.

They went through the nearby door, which then locked itself behind them, before an alarm sounded. Three doors then opened. One door revealed 3 Pulsework Knights. The other two doors revealed two Circuitrons. Jared telepathically informed Rose of the Circuitrons's abilities, and the two of them just cut the bombs in half. Hope had thrown Nue and actually took one out before Jared was able to cut it.

Apparently, Twilight Dragon was much more powerful than Reaper in cutting ability. _'Having a Blade of pure Energy would do that, I guess.'_ He mused mentally.

One door opened, and they went through, since it was the only that unlocked. The group went through another hallway and into a similar room. This one had a dancing bird, and two Pulsework Knights.

The group took out the Pulsework Knights first. They were annoying as hell. Jared then used Libra on the bird, and mentally sent the information to Rose. Jared and Rose then used a pincer Maneuver on the Stikini, and cut it with their blades, taking it down quickly and efficiently.

The next door opened, and they went through to find another hallway, though this one was longer. They actually took the time to walk down this one. Through the next door was another bridge, at the end of which, was four imps and a pair of Pulsework Knights. The group got the drop on them, and Hope managed to send a few Radar Missiles at them, mainly hitting the Pulsework Knights. He only managed two before being noticed.

Jared, on the other hand, managed 30 in the same amount of time. The group then made easy work of the enemies, since the Knights were weakened, and as such a pair of Thundaga took them both out. The Imps were simple. Rose stabbed them with Dragon Buster and they died. Jared stabbed one with Twilight Dragon, and _it_ died. Vanille hooked one with her binding rod and brought it over to Lightning who used Aquastrike which was then amplified by the Electrons on the blade, thus killing it in one hit.

The last one was taken care of by a Firaga from Sazh, followed by a Blizzaga from Snow. Jared noticed that, and so did Hope. "Hope, do you know why that killed the Imp?"

"No, why?"

"Another Chemistry lesson, then. When something is heated to the level Firaga does, what happens when you rapidly cool them?"

"Uh... They stiffen?"

"In a sense. Metal would make it essentially a brittle statue. But flesh like those Imps, it would effectively drain the life out of them. I did that with Liquifier and Glacier in Weyard. Liquifier heated them up, Glacier froze them in place. After the ice faded, the targets affected by both were dead. Pulsework Soldier in the Vile Peaks: it was a statue. A simple finger flick shattered it. No explosion."

Hope just grinned at that. "That's good to know."

"I agree." Lightning added.

The rest nodded their agreement, and then found themselves jumping down a few more times to a lower bridge. This one had a Behemoth. Jared stopped the others from attacking before jumping into the air, ready to impale the beast. Why?

Because Twilight Dragon said it had a move that it didn't know about until then. Jared instantly knew what it was though. "Mortal Danger!" It landed in the back of the Behemoth's neck, thus erasing its Spirit, causing it to fall and dissipate. Jared looked at the others. "What? Those things are annoying."

The others didn't comment, and just went through the nearby door, finding another small hallway. After which, was another arena, where four Circuitrons entered. Rose and Jared stood back and let them handle it. The other L'cie just took them out, but one was about to Self-destruct. Jared sent a pair of Darkja at it, killing it instantly. A door opened, like usual, and they went through. Lightning looked at Jared with a raised eyebrow, to which he responded. "It was about to Self-destruct." she took that as a good reason, and dropped it.

They went down another small hallway, and found _another_ arena. This one, no doors were locked, and Jared managed to lead the group to the other side, as a lot of birds were fighting a Greater Behemoth. Hope, lightning, and Rose noticed him left 3 Bombs in the room. They were out, and the doors closed before the bombs went off, killing everyone in there.

They all felt the tremors from it, and looked at Jared. "Three of them. All dead." They all sighed, including Rose. "You never left the Explosive alone, did you?"

"Not a chance." Jared answered.

They continued down the hallway, and found an Elevator. Which Lightning Activated. Three birds were coming down, and Hope sent a pair of Darkra up. Jared followed suit with Cerberus using Triple Shadowstrike. The birds then fell to the ground, already dead.

"I'm not fighting those things." hope told them. The rest just nodded, and let it go. Rose raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

The Elevator stopped, and they found stairs leading to a door, which they went through, followed by... you guess it! Another hallway!

They then found themselves in a larger chamber, not an arena, but inside there was a large Mecha. The Berserker. The Orange strips then made a Centaurion Blade, which Jared then caught with his Shadow.

Sazh and Jared then used Firaga on the Berserker, followed by a Liquifier from Jared. Hope then followed up with a pair of Blizzaga, with Snow adding to it with his own. The Mecha was unable to move for the moment, which Jared took advantage of. He jumped up, and brought his leg down, landing a single hit, thus making the thing fall to pieces 2 seconds after impact. Once that happened, each individual piece shattered when they hit the ground. Everyone smirked at the teamwork, but Hope knew something was wrong with Fang.

They continued through another hallway. Another Bridge, two more birds: Both Skata'ne. They were easily taken out with a few spells. The group of L'cie has gotten a lot stronger, and Hope has increased in Stamina thanks to Jared, though it's still not good enough for what needed to be done. Both Skata'ne were down in a total of 1 minute 14 seconds. Snow was now back to talking bout random things as they continued.

Further down the bridge, 2 more Skata'ne and a Stikini. That battle was ridiculously easy. Snow just punched one out of Irritation, which caused it to crash into the Stikini, which was already targeted by Jared and Rose, who _both_ used Death Dimension, trapping the three, and killing them all. Only their remains had survived. Nothing else.

At the next group of enemies Rose sighed, before going Dragoon, and sucking them into the Demon's Gate, taking them all out. This time, there were no remains.

Everyone, sans Jared, stared at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Was the simultaneous reply between those staring at her.

Another door, another hallway, another large room. This time: Two Centurions.

One of them was eliminated with the same tactic as the last one, while Jared, Rose and Hope took the other one. Apparently, the barrage of Radar Missiles had stopped it from doing anything, since Jared's were far more powerful than usual. Hope had fired a few RPGs at it, and Rose threw a single grenade which obliterated the head. It was damaged, but it fell. Jared knew he could probably fix it up, or use the materials elsewhere, so he put it in his Shadow Vault.

They went to a door, which opened like a wheel turning, and went through.

They saw what looked to be a ruined city, with sand on the ground. "Looks like it's a dead end." Hope said.

"How about... down there?" Sazh suggested.

"If the stories are right, it's a maze." Vanille said, slightly hesitant.

Fang held no hesitation from saying anything. "This place is a boot camp for L'cie. All kinds of Challenges from Gran Pulse are waiting to test us."

"Challenges, huh? So we can go wipe out Cocoon like Dysley wants?" Sazh asked. "Or follow Jared's Plan, not getting the Civilians involved, which would be hard enough as it is."

"We can stay here if turning Ci'eth sounds better." Fang retorted calmly.

Sazh finally snapped, which Hope noticed. "I have had, enough of this! WHERE'S THE WAY OUT!" Apparently, he was still frantic.

"Who said there was one?" Snow asked, somewhat serious. There was silence in response for a full minute. Snow then pounded his fists together. "I've made up my mind." He then started walking. "Maybe I will end up a Ci'eth. But until then, I'm gonna make Serah Proud." He pulled out a Crystallized Tear and looked at it. He then turned around. "I couldn't bring myself to admit that this tear, meant Goodbye. And that's why I kept searching for her." He stared at the Crystal in his hand, before tossing it into the air, and catching it.

"But I didn't need to." he looked down, and brought his head back up. "Serah was here the whole time." He put his fist with the tear at his heart. "Right here. Watching over me. Now I get it. What this tear's been telling me: Do not let the Focus win. It's not the Fal'cie we should listen to. It's Serah, Raines and Jared."

Everyone was looking at him impressed. "do you know why? It's because our Focus doesn't matter. It's not the end. What matters to me, is that we protect Cocoon! Whatever it takes!" He pumped his fist. "We follow our hearts, and that's what my heart, and Serah's Tear are telling me!"

Vanille nodded after a bit. "Same here." She walked up to him. "I'll help you do it." Snow held out his hand, and Vanille put her own on his.

Hope came up and did the same. "I'm in. I gotta get used to be a Guardian, and this should be good practice."

The little Chocobo came out of Sazh's hair, which Rose raised an eyebrow at, and then got on Hope's hand. Snow commented on this. "Come on. When a Chocobo agrees, you _know_ you're on the right path!"

Fang was the only one to disagree. "Well, count me out." She started to walk off. "If you all want to go it on your own..." She turned around, Lance in hand. "Then so will I!"

Hope felt something _powerful_ from Fang. He didn't notice it before, but apparently she was about to snap emotionally. "Fang! Calm down!" Hope shouted.

Jared then looked at him, then at Fang. "Fang... don't tell me you're stressed out."

"What's it matter to you?!" Fang had, apparently, snapped.

Hope then felt the levels of whatever it was he was feeling skyrocket to about 40 times as much as it was before. "Jared! Whatever she was feeling just skyrocketed!" Hope told him.

Jared then realized it, as did Lightning, Snow, and Sazh. Rose was slightly confused, but Vanille had an idea.

Classic Eidolon entrance.

"What? Come to take care of a Broken L'cie?!" Fang nearly shouted.

"That thing's here to help us?" Snow asked.

"That's what Eidolons do, you idiot." Fang retorted. "If L'cie can't figure out what to do next, they put us out of our misery!"

"Wait, so you haven't made up your mind yet?" Snow questioned in a classic Snow way.

Rose looked at Snow, Jared, then the Eidolon. "When you said Snow was almost exactly like Dart, you weren't kidding." This went ignored by all but Jared.

"Told you." Jared replied, before the being charged up a spell, which Jared got in front of as it fired, before deflecting it to the side and behind him.

"What are you doing?" Fang questioned, nearly demanding an answer.

"Protecting one of our own." Lightning replied. "We can do without their brand of Mercy." Blaze Omega was drawn, and pointed at the beast. "And we don't need a Fal'cie's Orders, either. I'm forging my own path. And that means: Following Serah's wishes!"

"We all are." Sazh added. "So please..."

Jared held out a hand to her. "Fight with us." Fang grabbed the hand, and got up.

She took her Spear and pointed it at the Eidolon. "Ready when you are!" She shouted.

Everyone had their weapons out, aside from Jared. He held a Jade Dragoon Lance. He used Libra, as did Fang. "Fang, Vanille, Hope! Debuff the shit out of him! Light, Sazh, beat him the fuck up! Snow, get his attention and block his strikes! Rose..."

He trailed off, and she got the message. They both went Dragoon. "We've got the Aerial attacks."

"Right!" Everyone shouted. Fang, Vanille and Hope used Debuffs out the wazoo. Jared and Rose struck him from the air. Lightning was using Sparkstrike, Aquastrike, Fira and Thundaga. Sazh was mainly using Flamestrike and Firaga. Snow really got its attention, pissed it off, and used Steelguard mostly.

Once the debuffs were on, Vanille and Hope cast high level spells out the Wazoo. Fang went in for a few strikes with her lance. When Snow didn't have the Eidolon's attention, it was either Fang, or the two Dragoons that did. Soon all attention was on Jared and Rose. The rest were ignored. Why?

Because they were the biggest threats.

It wasn't long before Odin was summoned by Lightning, adding another player.

After 2 minutes of this, Fang's Doom Counter was getting low. Until it hit 2 minutes 9 seconds, where it disappeared, and Bahamut started to transform.

Odin was still out, and everyone stood back and watched as it backed off and did its job, turning into a dragon, which Rose admired. "Dragons... always fun to mess with when you can take them on." Rose commented.

"True." Jared had a smile as Fang got on its neck, Lance in hand.

Everyone looked around, Fang looked at her brand, but Vanille spoke first. "Look!" She pointed at the blue trail leading to the lower level. "A new path!"

Snow decided to comment. "I don't suppose you'd take that as a sign of me being right?" Silence was his response. "No? Okay..."

He looked at each other. "Listen. Keep our eyes on the goal, and we'll figure something out!" Sazh and Lightning shrugged. "Alright!"

"Like the old saying: There's a plan in everything, and I love it when a plan comes together!" Jared said, with a smile.

Snow gave him a thumbs up. "Gotta thank you for that, though."

"I didn't do a thing. That was all you." Jared retorted. Before looking at Rose. "Still any doubts?"

Rose just gave him a deadpanned stare. "I feel like I've been looking at Dart _and_ Zieg. Give him a broadsword, teach him how to use it, and you've got a damn near carbon copy of the two." She shook her head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Snow was related to the two of them somehow."

"And the others?"

"Lightning and Fang's personalities are similar to my own in the Dragoons." Everyone was listening to her as the two talked, seemingly oblivious to the rest. "Hope seems similar to Lavitz in personality, but is like Albert in terms of mental ability."

"Figured that. Go on."

"Vanille is Meru. No contest. They even give off the same _aura_. That, no matter what you think, just doesn't make sense."

"You're right. It doesn't, so I blame Insanity, and move on." Jared said.

"Sazh is... well, I'd put him in a similar position to Shana. Calm for the most part, timid at first, but when pissed, they show their fangs, and they _hurt_."

"You know... I'd have to agree with you on that. Too bad we don't have a Kongol in this group."

"You have one." She retorted.

"Oh yeah? Who?"

Rose just raised an eyebrow at him. "You're kidding right? Kongol was our heavy hitter. Meru was our Speed Demon. Shana and Miranda were our Long range fighters. Albert was a great tactician. You're better than _they_ are at their specialties. You've got Kongol in you, and you're in the group. You do the math."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "No offense to Kongol, but I'm a combination of _all_ of the Dragoons. You'd be hard pressed to recreate me."

"Actually, recreating you is impossible without 300 years to work on it." Rose told him.

"Hmm... Point taken."

Hope was walking next to Lightning, and the two talked between themselves. Snow was talking to Sazh, who was talking back. Fang was silent mostly, which slightly worried Vanille.

As they were reaching the end of the path, Vanille spoke up. "Hey! Look at that!" Everyone looked at the ship, causing a grin to form on Jared's face.

"What?" Sazh asked, looking at what she was pointing at, before she ran towards it. "An airship?"

"And it's from Gran Pulse!" Vanille was obviously happy, she stopped next to it, taking a thoughtful stance. "I guess it was one of this Ark's weapons... or something."

Fang then noticed something, which Jared and Rose knew about already. "That's a gate to Gran Pulse." Everyone looked at it, even Rose and Jared.

"So, what, that's our exit? Pulse, or bust?" Sazh asked, looking at it.

"Could be one of Dysley's traps." Lightning stated.

"If it were, I would've spoken up." Jared said, earning a round of nods and shrugs from the rest of them.

"I'm taking care of the flying. No more of these ships taking charge of our travel plans stuff. The only place this thing's taking us, is where these boys tell it to." Sazh showed off his biceps through his jacket.

"Ha! Really? _That_ is a Gran Pulse Ship." Fang told him, as if surprised he thought he could pilot it.

"Really? Leave it to me." He hit his chest, coughed. Everyone just shook their head amused, aside from Rose.

Snow spoke up next. "Either way, we're on bothered time. Might as well go." He patted Sazh on the back, helping him with his coughing fit. "We get lucky, maybe we'll find a way to get rid of these goofy tattoos."

Vanille looked down. "But there's no way to do that."

Fang put a hand on the back of the red head's head. "You never know. Maybe we didn't think to look for one."

Hope spoke up next. "If nothing else, we know Cocoon is safe for the time being. I'd say its worth going to take a look."

"Maybe, but what about your dad?" Lightning asked.

Hope looked at her. "I made him a promise. I'd keep going. I'd do what I had to. He told me that only I knew what that would be. The world's full of Lies, with no way of knowing what's right. All we can do, is believe in ourselves." He pumped a fist. "It's easy to sit back, and let people trick you, like how the Sanctum had us all thinking L'cie was nothing short of a monster. I'm done with their lies. Fal'cie, this Focus, from here on out, I use my own eyes. Think. And follow my own heart."

Lightning smiled at this.

"I might not make all the right choices, but as long as I'm the one that decided what to do, there's nothing to regret." Hope was now looking at all of them from the side. "Besides, he's a Guardian too. He'll be fine."

"Okay." Lightning was both impressed, and saw a bit of Jared in Hope. Sazh chuckled a bit.

"Alright. Let's do it! I'm with you, bad choices and all!" Sazh was pointing at Hope, before grabbing his shoulders, and shaking him around a bit.

"Course I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out. Pulse is hell, you know?"

"OH really?" Fang had a teasing and knowing look on her face. "And how many times have you been there?"

"Not once." Hope admitted with no shame. "But I want to go. I want to see the truth for myself."

Lightning looked at Jared, who hadn't commented on anything. He seemed to not even be there. "Uh... Rose?" Rose looked at Lightning, who pointed at Jared, and then shifted her gaze. "Similar to an Astral Projection, I think. Someone probably took his mind up."

It wasn't long until Jared blinked a few times, and then looked at the group. At this point, everyone was on the ship, Rose included, and they had just gotten out of a Wormhole: AKA the portal, everyone was looking out the window in surprise when he spoke up.

"Got a deal out of the Maker." This earned the attention of everyone else. "We take out Orphan and Barthandelus while saving Cocoon, and she'll open the brands completely, _without_ fear of turning Ci'eth, like Hope's and my own. This way, we'll keep the abilities we gained, possibly gain new ones, and no longer have any need for a Focus. No Ci'eth, no Crystal, and Serah would be freed. If we manage to save Cocoon from the Fal'cie, all this will happen. If it doesn't, The Maker loses her God Status, and is placed down here, with no memories of what had happened. Nothing more than a name, a mortal body, a rags for clothing. It's what happened the last time someone lost their god Status, apparently. To think it was a Goddess who had no information on the world, its inhabitants, or the fact she was placed at a random spot in the world. It just so happens that she landed right outside a Bandit camp, and she was unconscious the moment she got there."

Everyone was disgusted at the implications. "It's what she got for trying to disrupt the balance of the world she governed, almost destroyed it, but failed thanks to a Dimensional Guardian. Rose worked with the guy, but it wasn't me."

Rose nodded, knowing the story. "Yeah, he told me. He was slightly disgusted at the treatment, but knew it was deserved. She ended up a mortal slave with no memories, no skills, just a cum dump, as they're called. She never resisted, not knowing what was right or wrong. She followed what others had told her. She may have deserved it, but he didn't like it either way." Rose admitted. "So, we can guarantee something similar will happen to the Maker if she doesn't hold up her end of the Bargain?"

Jared nodded. "Similar, yes. She would still be ageless, but would become an eternal slave to Hope. No memory, no skills, just an absolute order tied to her soul. As long as Hope lived, she would live as his slave. He would teach her what was right and what was wrong. If he wanted to take advantage of her, then he could. First child would be taken, and become her replacement. Same title as her mother held, but the rest would be slaves to Hope's family. She said that she would let that happen if she did skimp out on the deal, and someone found out. Soa knows of the deal, as do 3 other gods. If any of them find out, then it _will _happen, and the one she will appear in front of is Hope. Doesn't matter what world he is in, she will land right in front of him, just like the last one did in front of that bandit camp."

Hope was slightly disgusted, but Rose just looked at Jared. "That would be the punishment for breaking the oath, isn't it?"

"For this one, it was agreed upon beforehand." Jared admitted. "Didn't like it myself, but... you get the idea. With the other four gods agreeing..."

"Then why Hope? Weren't you making the deal?" Lightning questioned.

"I was, but it was decided to be Hope because he's from _this_ realm. I'm not. That was the reasoning behind it." Jared said. "I was against the Eternal Slave punishment, but with the other Gods interfering, I had no choice but to accept it. I can take on one God, maybe two, but not five."

Hope sighed. "Any way you can send me the info on what happened?"

Jared glowed, followed by Hope, before it broke after a few seconds. Hope sighed as he saw it. "That figures..."

"Tell me about it." Jared replied.

"And the whole fertility thing is absurd. Why would I do that, anyway?"

Jared shrugged. "All Guardians have the ability, but it only affects themselves. If a Guardian wants a child with another person, they get it. If they don't, they don't. From what I know, two Guardians have never had the same child before... A child of Two Dimensional Guardians, heh. They'd cause more Chaos than even Mark and Nizam could." he ended up musing.

The topic was dropped, but not forgotten. Sazh just looked at Hope in surprise, who was actually slightly disappointed. He didn't want a slave.

Vanille just looked at Hope with a look that no one saw. If they did, they'd see a mischievous glint in her eyes. Jared wasn't reading her mind, so he didn't catch her thought. _'If I find one of _those_ then I'll do _that_. Fang won't like it, but I'll try to keep it hidden from her, since she only knows what it does. Not what it looks like.'_

Hope didn't even register the shiver running down his spine.

The others' thoughts:

Hope: Why would she choose me? Sure I live in her world, but still... I don't want a slave.

Sazh: Poor kid.

Snow: Better Hope she delivers. I know you don't want this.

Lightning: Somehow I'm not surprised.

Fang: Lucky brat.

Rose: Soa, if you can hear me, help him out.

Jared: Hmm... A Gauntlet with an auto-adapting ability for tech? Could work. Now for the design.

Vanille was glad no one had read her mind, and the only one that had a chance of doing so seemed in his own thoughts.

00000x00000

Chapter complete!

What was Vanille thinking about? How does the Maker hope to pull it off? Will they save Cocoon for Raines? Or will they do it for themselves?

Why is Rose still with them? What does she plan to do?

And why is Jared still thinking about the clock idea a few chapters back?

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	10. Gran Pulse and A NEW DG

Alright!

**Chapter 10**

The Group of L'cie, and Rose, was resting in a new area. They had landed 3 days ago, and they had seen Jared a lot more at ease than he usually is.

Hope was collecting fruit, alongside the Chocobo.

Lightning was just watching Hope gather the food, giving him some tips.

Sazh was talking with Rose, trying to find out how the Dragoons really came into existence.

Snow was more on his own, seemingly talking to himself. In reality, he was talking to Serah's Tear.

Jared found a spot of grass, laid down, and relaxed. He actually _relaxed_.

Fang noticed what Jared was doing, but didn't correct him. She knew that he knew what the place was like. Vanille was sleeping on a log. Falling out of the sky had that effect.

The only ones not worried were Jared and Rose. Rose just went Dragoon. Jared had other plans. The crater a few feet away from the campsite is a testament to _that_.

Jared landed with no help. Paku wasn't around, Rose didn't catch him, he told Fang to keep an eye on the others, and Lightning was worried.

He went down faster than Fang did on the Gestalt Bahamut with the others on board. Before he landed, he flipped, and created a 15 foot wide crater with him at the center. Everyone, even Hope, was wide eyed at the display. He got up, and walked out without a single limp, before looking at the others. "Told you I could fall from 18,000 feet and survive." That was all he said.

After that, they _finally_ believed that he was able to do the impossible without flinching.

Anyway, it had been 3 days since then, and now they were just flat out resting and trying to set up a campsite for later on. And right now, Jared was too zoned out to notice much more than the grass, _real grass_, under his body.

When Lightning and Hope got back, Light looked at Rose. "Have you _ever_ seen him like this?"

"Yeah, it's like he's a different person. Almost like a..." Sazh trailed off, not believe what he was about to say.

"A kid. I know." Was Rose's reply. "It's rare to see him like this. The last time I saw him like this, is when he... No, not even in Villude was he _this_ relaxed."

Jared, though in his Crimson Half-plate armor, was smiling a little _too_ peacefully. He remembers the last time he was like this. It was when...

A Butterfly landed on his nose, and he didn't even twitch. His face didn't distort. His hands didn't move. It was as if...

Rose's eyes widened. "General Barona told me about this once. The few times he was _ever_ like this was in private, when no one he couldn't trust completely was around. That was rare. By Private, I mean no one he doesn't trust completely within 10 miles. Normally that only happens in Volcanoes, around Volcanoes, or on his own with Paku."

"He can feel Geothermal Heat, too." Lightning added. "As to how, I don't know, but he can."

Rose looked at him, the butterfly still on his nose. "Neither do I. He couldn't do so beforehand. It's probably something he picked up after he left Endiness, because I don't have a clue." She admitted.

Jared's voice rang out, and it didn't even jar the butterfly. _"It's because of my Psynergy."_ They looked at Jared, sans Rose, who noticed his mouth hadn't moved once. Then she looked near his prone form, and found an astral form of his, from the Torso up. Everyone else saw it, too.

"What do you mean?" Lightning asked. "What does your Psynergy have to do with it?"

The astral form looked at her. _"Because of the fact that Psynergy is actually a combination of the Natural Life forces, and Alchemy. It's something that isn't widely known, even to Grandmaster Adepts in Weyard, but someone that has such a deep rooted sense of Psynergy like I do can sense the Natural Order of things. I mean that in the most literal sense possible. As a Jupiter Adept, I can sense the Biorhythms in each of you. It's an excellent way to know if someone's lying or not. A Mars Adept is able to detect heat and, with practice, can even tell through one's body heat if someone's lying. A Venus Adept can easily find someone using the very ground we walk on, as long as its made of Natural Causes, like we are here. A Mercury Adept is powerful, but they have a natural affinity for finding Pure Water Sources. What I do to sense Geothermal Energy is basically a combination of Venus and Mars. If a Venus Adept knows what to look for, they can sense it too. Mars Adepts are easier to be able to pinpoint it though."_

"And you have all four." Fang said.

"_Yes, I do."_ the figure looked at his prone body. _"In fact, it's the influx of Nature that's doing this to me. I've been in Cocoon too long. Believe it or not, my body is in pure bliss right now, simply because of the Truly Natural Feeling of the area itself. Cocoon doesn't have that."_

"It's survival of the fittest down here. You really think you should be like that?" Fang pointed out.

"_You want the truth?"_ Everyone nodded, even Rose. _"I don't give two shits about that. Right now, my body is experiencing a bliss that I have fully missed. Cocoon made me feel like... Like everything was wrong. It's as if nothing was natural. All of it, even the ground, trees, everything was artificial. I was able to tell with wind before, but not to this extent. Learning Psynergy was a boon for me, because I could simply tell when something was natural or not. Cocoon itself was not Natural. The closest to true Nature that I ever felt in there was right outside Palumpolum, but even that wasn't enough for this."_ The figure turned back to Lightning.

"_Light, I know your True Birth name already."_ Her eyes widened. _"I'm not going to say what it is, unless you give me permission, however. I know why you changed it, and I understand the reasoning behind it. However... it's not the name that decides who a person is. It's the Character of said person. Their Heart. If you learn nothing else from me, then make sure you burn this into your mind: A name is just that. It may strike fear into someone through reputation, but in the end, it's not the name that brought the reputation, or the power you have. It's your experience, your heart, and what you do with it that defines you. Your name is nothing more than a title for people to call you."_ He looked at the others. _"That goes for the rest of you, too."_ He then zeroed in on Hope. _"Especially you."_

"Why me?"

"_Because many who live longer than everyone around them tends to believe they are invincible because of their name. A Guardian fears their own ego, more than they do someone like Barthandelus. I believe Rose can attest to this."_

Rose nodded. "He's right, I can. When it happens, you would lose your way. You'd lose sight of yourself. The classic thoughts I had when it happened to me ranged from "Who am I?" to "Why am I doing this?" all the way to "Am I even the same person I was? Have I changed to become that which I hated?" It was when Jared found me, and set me on the right path that I found my answers. I am who I am. I did what I did because there was no other way at the time. I never truly changed. Deep down, I was still the same, but I had to cover it up. I had to get rid of it. Only when it came to the surface did the answers come. It's why I trust Jared. Not only did he beat someone that not even I could, he helped me with a problem that would've led me to commit suicide on the Moon That Never Sets as it was being destroyed. If not for Jared, I doubt I'd even be alive."

Jared shook his head. _"Rose, you give yourself too little credit. You had the means. You just couldn't find the strength you already had. It's why it took you so long to find those answers, when you had them all along. I just brought it out. You had it. You used it. Remember everything that I did. I never gave you clear cut instructions on how to solve a problem, unless it was a fight. I gave each of you the tools, and you all used them. I was a supplier. A tactician. And a damn good fighter. When you think about it, once you realized you had the tools, you used them."_

"If not for you, I wouldn't have found those answers."

"_Dart would've gotten them out of you. If he didn't, Zieg would have. The saying History Repeats itself is no mere proverb. It's the truth, and you know this."_

Rose simply nodded. "I still have to thank you. If I don't..."

"_Don't even go there, Rose."_ Jared said. _"Come to think of it, I think that you and I should spar after my body finally calms down from the Blissful state its currently in. You up for it?"_

"Rules?" Rose asked.

"_No Dragoon, No Stage two, haven't tested it out since I got my Dragoon form back, no magic, and No Guardian Abilities. Pure Stamina and skill with our weapons. Deal?"_

"Any stakes?"

"_Hmm... Light?"_

"Why are you asking me?"

"_I'd rather you guys set up a betting pool using Gil. Rose, we have nothing at stake for this spar. If they bet, they win or they lose. Nothing goes on between you and me except the fight."_

Rose thought for a moment, and looked at Lightning. "I think its a good idea."

Lightning sighed. "Alright. Anyone want to place bets on the two?"

"700 Gil on Jared to win." Hope said.

Vanille countered. "100 on Rose."

"500 on Jared." Fang added.

"I got 100 on Rose." Sazh stated.

They all looked at Snow and Lightning who seemed to be in thought. "1000 Gil on it being a tie." was Snow's bet.

Lightning heard this. "For some reason, I find myself matching Snow's bet. 1000 Gil on a stalemate."

Jared quickly did the math. _"That's 3,400 Gil to be split between the winners. If it's a stalemate, Snow and Light get 1700 each. I win Hope and Fang get 1700 each. Rose wins Vanille and Sazh get 1700 each."_

"You're not betting?" Snow asked.

"_I'm a participant. I can't bet."_ was his response.

"Oh. Didn't know that."

"_That's why I was calm saying it."_

"Wait, what about Psynergy?" Rose questioned.

"_Psynergy is a type of Magic. It falls under that category."_ Jared responded.

"Oh... That makes more sense, I suppose." Fang said.

"Yes. However, does that mean Weapon Specials are out of the question as well?" Lightning questioned.

"_Rose, did you figure out if Dragon Buster a Special or two that didn't rely on Dragons?"_

"Only one, but it's of no use with my style."

"_Then specials are allowed as long as it's the Weapon saying to do so. If you use Dragon Buster's Special, then it's fine. I use Twilight Dragon's specials, aside from Mortal Danger, and I'm safe."_

Rose thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright. Just making sure."

Apparently, it only took a single day for his body to break out of the bliss. He woke up, got his own breakfast, and then got ready with his Crimson Half-plate. Twilight Dragon was in hand, and the Triple Helix Energy Blade was out and ready.

Rose, on the other hand, was wearing her Purple armor, Dragon Buster in hand. The two stared down as the sun rose. (Find an extended version of Legend of Dragoon Boss Battle on youtube and play it while reading)

Everyone else was awake and watching, even Hope and Vanille.

The moment the sun was no longer touching the horizon, the two immediately charged at each other swords at the ready. Their initial strike was blade on blade, which they stayed in that position, both going up and to the right on their respective ends. After a good second of a stalemate in that position, they both pulled back slightly and vanished.

Jared was attempting a spin slash, which Rose jumped over, sending a strike at Jared's neck, who merely let it phase through him before his form vanished. _'Afterimage!'_ Rose mentally screamed, as she rose Dragon Horn to block the overhead strike that Jared was bringing down. That position was held for 2 seconds, before Rose was able to push him off.

Rose then went on the offensive and tried to strike him before he landed. She tried a vertical slash, but Jared countered her strike by using his arm to parry it to the side safely, before sending his blade at her shoulder. She managed to dodge, but she still felt the air vibrate around the blade that missed her arm by a mere centimeter.

Everyone else merely watched in silence. Sazh, Hope, Fang and Lightning were the only ones who could see what was going on, but Hope was only able to from watching Jared go at it. The rest only saw Blurs.

Strike after strike, block after block, parry after parry, neither side managed to get a true hit in for a good 20 minutes.

That is, until Jared dodged a horizontal slash from Rose, and kicked her legs from beneath her, causing her to use her free hand as a brace to try and kick him, which he dodged by leaning backward, and then kicking her in the back of the knee, causing pain to shoot through body, before she could get back on her feet.

Jared simply waited for her to do so, with a small smile on his face. "You've gotten better."

"Comes with the job." Jared said.

Rose sighed, but then went for a jab this time, causing Jared to step on the tip of the blade without any type of magic supporting him. He was already immune to the energy, apparently, and used it as a springboard to kick her in the head, which she wasn't able to dodge. Rose went flying to her left, passing the observers, and hitting a wall. Jared frowned. He hadn't expected that to work.

He was proven right when he had brought his sword up to block an overhead strike from Rose, who was battered by the Rocks that almost fell on her. Her armor, though light, was still tough.

Jared's frown turned into a grin. "Still fighting?"

"Better than dying for no reason." Rose retorted, the two still in said lock. They both went back but Jared noticed Rose's speed decreased. He next strike, a spinning stab, was Dodged and Jared managed to hit her in the neck with the pommel of Twilight Dragon, thus knocking her out.

Rose hit the ground, Dragon Buster still in hand. Jared was actually slightly winded. "Looks like I win." Jared smiled a bit. (End song)

"That it does." Lightning stated, Splitting the Gil between Hope and Fang. "You won. Congratulations." Inwardly, she was impressed. _'He knew of her experience, and he still won while having much less experience than her.'_

Lightning then felt a heat in her nether regions. _'Oh god, not now!'_ She was not in a good position.

Jared looked at her with slightly innocent eyes. The moment she met his eyes, the heat intensified. _'Please no... don't let him notice me.'_ She caught him sniffing something out like a dog. _'Or a wolf.'_ She mentally added. It wasn't long before his sights returned to her, after trying to find the source of the scent. She then noticed the look in his eyes, but they went away quickly, returning to the normal eyes she knew he held.

But she knew she hadn't imagined the look he held. She was now on guard, not sure if he'd take her, or one of the others, but she kept quiet in front of the others. If she was wrong, then it would be nothing. But if she was right, she was screwed... Literally.

He hadn't made any moves since then, and they were about to set up a campsite, before Jared just sent Hope and Vanille to look for food, and told the others to wait. As the two went out to get the food, Jared extended his shadow, and a good sized building came out of it.

"When you said you had a house in your Shadow, you weren't kidding." Sazh stated.

"Lightning and Hope have already slept in it. Across a lake from Palumpolum, in fact."

He then whistled. Several Silver Lobos came out, much more tame, and went to him, aside from Seriune, who went over to Lightning, who actually had a small smile on her face, surprising Snow.

Kadeem looked around, not seeing Hope. Jared looked at him and spoke. "Hope's in that direction. He's getting food." Kadeem gave off a nod, Snow and Sazh ready to strike, but apparently, it wasn't needed.

The Silver Lobos were tamed for the most part, and the only two awake and present not surprised were Jared and Lightning. Fang figured as such, since they weren't attacking, and seemed more like Domesticated Animals, than wild beasts. "Where'd you get those Silver Lobos?" Snow questioned, confused.

"Took them from the Gapra Whitewood. Which reminds me..." Jared vanished, and reappeared 20 minutes later, looking at Lightning. "Light, remember what I said I probably should've done to the Gapra Whitewood because of what they did to these guys?"

Her eyes widened. "You didn't..." he smirked. "You did..."

"You expect any less?" Jared questioned.

"No..." She admitted, sadly. "But did you at least check if anyone was in there?"

"No one that was a Civilian, or a wolf. Everyone and everything there ended up on the Business end of a Jericho Cluster... Four of them."

"Mind filling us in on what a Jericho Cluster is, mate?" Fang asked.

By this time, Rose was awake, and heard the question. "A Cluster Missile." Everyone looked at her. "The Jericho Cluster... I saw the prototype."

Lightning looked at her. "How bad was the damage?"

"Shockwave went 20 miles out, and blasts could reach almost 2 miles from the target point. There was 52 smaller blasts. Why?"

Everyone looked at Jared. "And you used Four of them?" Snow questioned, surprised.

"Would've used more, but I couldn't give myself away. Barthandelus still thinks we're in Gran Pulse, which includes me. The damn silver owl isn't following us anymore. It can't blend in here."

After a few seconds of silence, Rose spoke again. "What's the other reason?"

Jared just looked at her. "To everyone's knowledge, the Pulse L'cie are gone. What I used were military grade weapons. Barthandelus also knows that we're down here. Can't blame us without proof. Not anymore, at least. I checked the Public Opinion Polls in Cocoon. 42% are saying that the Sanctum is useless, 54% are saying that the Sanctum doesn't care for the people and want it gone, and the rest are either undecided, or don't care either way. I know Hope's father falls under the last one. This doesn't include the Military or their officials, Fal'cie have no votes, including Dysley. Then again, Dysley is still trying to figure out how I know all the stuff I do. Apparently, he knows nothing about the Dimensional Guardians, so that part's safe."

"He didn't believe you had the chance to kill him on the Palamecia, did he?" Hope asked.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell." Jared replied. "Which reminds me. What do you think of Gran Pulse, Hope?"

"Yeah, I want to know that myself." Fang added, with Vanille agreeing.

"Well... Believe it or not, if not for the fact that I'd have to leave this realm one day, I'd probably prefer to stay here than go back to Cocoon, if that's what you're asking. I'd take a few friends if they want to come, but I'd leave that choice to them." Hope replied.

"Care to explain?" Fang questioned.

"Well, the air is one reason. Believe it or not, it's cleaner here. Sometimes I feel like something's clogging my nose while I was in Palumpolum. Bodhum was cleaner, but this is, by far, the place with the cleanest air I've ever breathed."

Jared nodded his assent. "I can believe that. I'm much more attuned to the wind than you seem to be, Hope. If Palumpolum had 50% impurities in its air, Bodhum would have about 36%, and this place has very few, if any, impurities. Below 0.1% at most."

"Seems about right, I think." Hope commented. "Anyway, the next reason is the environment itself. Violent as it can be, if you don't make yourself out to be a threat, you won't be attacked. It gives me a more... peaceful feeling, I guess. It's not the concept of it being Pulse that makes me feel this way. No, I still don't like being a L'cie for Pulse, but I feel calmer down here than I did on Cocoon. Sure, my dad and I never got along, and now I know why, but this place seems better at the core than Cocoon. The outer shell of Pulse is drastically different, I'll admit, but it's not bad. It's got a certain feeling that just... grabs at me."

"I had that feeling for a while myself, Hope." Jared admitted. "It's the feeling of Nature. When Nature is in harmony with itself and Guardian knows. You saw what happened to me, right?"

Hope nodded. "Yeah, you looked calm, relaxed, and peaceful. Why?"

"Because of my usage in Psynergy, I'm more attuned to Nature, and as such it has a more profound effect on me. So much so, that it's visible in my actions." Jared explained. "When it finally loosened its grip on me, my body finally decided to move."

"I wasn't as affected, because of my lack of a connection." Rose admitted, before Vanille used Curasa on her followed with a Vital Boon from Jared.

Jared nodded. "Anyway, I believe Hope and I should go separate from the rest of you tomorrow. After all, he already has his Eidolon."

Everyone looked at Hope in surprise. "You got it already?"

Hope nodded. "It was actually a lot harder on my own than it probably should've been, but I still managed. I just used my Synergist abilities to the utmost, healed with Medic, and then went all out with Ravager. I was 3 minutes away from the end when I got him. His name is Alexander, and he's pretty cool."

"Probably had at least 20 minutes, then." Fang stated.

"Actually, it started off at 17 minutes." Hope stated. "If I had Vanille and Sazh with me it would've been faster."

"And you did that Solo?" Lightning questioned. "To my knowledge, none of us knew about it."

Everyone but Rose nodded. "Then how did you know?" Sazh sent Jared a look.

"I saw the Eidolon in his Brand." Jared admitted with no shame.

"That's freaky." Snow pointed out. "Could you talk to him?"

"No, but I can talk to Stiria, Odin, and Bahamut through Telepathy. Bahamut, I'm not surprised. I met another version of him before as a Dragoon Spirit." Jared admitted. "Hope and I have some major training to do."

"What about me?" Fang questioned. "I don't know the first thing about being a Guardian, or whatever it is. Don't you think you should..."

"Rose." Jared interrupted her.

"I knew you were thinking that, before we even got here." Rose admitted with a flat tone. "I've got her. You get the boy. My senses have increased quite a bit. And I know you haven't slacked in that department, either."

"You're right. In Cocoon it's at about 40% of the full strength. The Sanctum Fal'cie mess with it when they're around. Down here, however, it's at full strength, and I can sense everything in a 30 mile radius." This had everyone's eyes widen.

"That's a far cry from Endiness. It was no larger than 10 Miles there."

"Psynergy helped in that regard. The More Nature, the stronger my senses." Jared admitted. "The Closest Fal'cie seemed to be traveling underground, and he doesn't seem to care that I can sense what he's doing."

"Sounds like Atomos." Fang admitted.

Jared just looked at Fang. "Where do you suppose we should meet up? This way, I can figure out where to go?"

"What about Oerba?" Vanille asked. "While we're there, we can see if there's any way to help with our Focus. Maybe there's a prophecy or something?"

"Good idea, I guess. Isn't that your home town?" Sazh asked, earning a nod from the red haired Pulsian.

"I'm game, but you'll need someone who knows their way around." Fang told Jared who shook his head. "I can pinpoint Rose anywhere within 50 miles because of her Dragoon Spirit. All I have to do is seek out her Dragoon Spirit and I'll be able to find her until I get within range of my other senses." Jared got up, herded the Silver Lobos, minus Kadeem and Seriune, into the house, and sent it back into his shadow vault. "Hope?"

Hope just got up and nodded. "I'm ready." He replied.

Jared and Hope just walked off, and Lightning was glad. Now she wouldn't have to worry about anything sexual.

After they left sight, Hope turned to Jared. "There's another reason we left now, isn't there?" Jared nodded. "Do I even want to know?"

Jared shrugged. "Long story short, it'll be a similar situation with one of the girls in the group as you'd be in with The Maker should she skimp on the deal. Only difference is, I'd force it."

"You wouldn't do that..." Hope trailed off. "You would, wouldn't you?"

"Hope, I don't know any of them that well, but if I stuck around Light any longer, I might have lost any sense of myself, and done it anyway, whether I wanted to or not."

"What's wrong with her?" Hope questioned, confused.

"It's not her, per se. It's what her body was doing." Seeing Hope's confused looked, he elaborated. "She was on the verge of getting rid of any inhibitions and fucking the closest thing with a Dick until she's satisfied. If I lost control, it wouldn't be until she's satisfied, it'll be until she breaks, and _then_ it'll continue until my own Lust is gone, and that could take weeks. Weeks we don't have."

"So... You did this to make sure that didn't happen?" Hope asked. He knew that Jared didn't like the idea of forcing himself on anyone, especially females, but if he loses his mind, he'd do it anyway, and then regret doing so later.

Jared just nodded, but there was a slight sadness in his eyes that Hope could still feel. "I didn't want it to happen, so it would've been best had I not been there to do so. All Guardians are immune to STDs, so I could just try to find someone, pay them, and go at it. This was picked up and recorded by another Guardian, named Karin Blackmoore. She would fuck someone just for the hell of it, and she was Bi. Male or female, it didn't matter to her. If she wanted to fuck you, she'd fuck you."

"Oh... I see."

"You don't really get it, do you?" Jared asked, earning a sheepish look from Hope. "Thought so. If she wanted to get pregnant, she could with _anyone_. She just couldn't get herself pregnant."

"That's just wrong."

"True, but her actions had been useful to Guardians and will continue to be used for other purposes. Twins always came when a Female Guardian wants another Female to have a child. One goes into both. The two would effectively be Pregnant, which is normally strange, but with what Guardians go through, that's actually tame compared to some of the shit we get into." Jared shrugged. "Besides, I've met one of her daughters."

"You have?"

"Yeah, her name is Jennifer Blackmoore, but people call her Psycho."

"She isn't really that bad... is she?" Hope ended up asking.

"No." Jared answered. "She's worse. She is Psychotic as hell, and her name is well earned. For Christ's sake, she tried to _rape me_ to pay me back for the Sword I made her when I made it to pay her back for the training she gave _me._"

"That's gotta be rough." Hope told him.

Jared simply shrugged. "You get used to it." Jared pulled out an Ocarina, and played a tune, when he finished, Paku came swooping in, and landing nearby. "Hey Paku. We need some stamina Training for Hope, here. I could use some help."

**Oh, you want me to get his stamina up?** Paku asked, earning a nod from Jared. **Reflexes, Stamina, and insight, right?**

"That would be appreciated. Before I can even get him started on some of the abilities he needs to know, he needs the stamina, and this would also help him gain experience, and train. He needs it, and I need some myself, _but there is more to it. I need him to survive while doing so, and he can't get that guarantee with the Wildlife."_ He finished off in Indonesian.

**Oh. So any restrictions?**

"_No killing, and make sure no wounds you inflict are Mortal. If it happens, and he's close to dying, signal me with 5 Shadow Cannons straight up from your position. I'll hurry back, and heal him, but don't rely on that. He needs to be able to handle it, but we want him stronger, not dead."_ Jared replied in perfect Indonesian.

**I get it. Rough him up, but make sure he doesn't die. Let him get a few hits in?**

"_If you want. But he'll have to beat you in order to progress."_

**Yeah, I got it.** Paku said. Jared looked at Hope, who was slightly confused. "Long story short, Paku will increase your Stamina and fighting instincts. Once that's done, I'll take you to the next level." Jared looked out over the nearby cliff and saw a lot of monsters. "In the meantime, I'll be working on the beings down there. Paku says you're ready, I'll take his word on it. He says you're ready, I'll bring you up to speed on the other abilities, but until then you're stuck with him."

Hope looked at him incredulously. "You really think he can do it?"

Jared just looked at the teen over his shoulder. "Hope, if you manage to kill him within the first week, I'd cut my own arm off, and then follow up with my own castration." His voice was so serious, and Hope knew what he meant, causing him to gulp. "Since you recognize how powerful he is, I'm off. I'll be back about Sunset. You and Paku have until then. Later." Jared just jumped off the cliff to pick a few fights.

Hope just turned to Paku, and saw the smirk, at least he thought it was a smirk, the Dragon sent his way. Kadeem, who noticed this, growled. Hope wasn't about to let Kadeem get hurt by the Dragon, so the two held their ground, and Paku said two words that neither of the two understood.

**Let's begin.**

Paku had gone after Hope and Kadeem, who both had taken a lot of hits, but none were lethal. Hope had to keep Haste active, along with Protect _and_ Shell in order to do much good. He got a few Tier 1 spells in, but wasn't able to use anything higher due to timing. Even still, none of the spells he _did _get off managed to hit Paku.

Hope was starting to see how outmatched he was. Paku was on the level of an Eidolon, even Alexander, but didn't summon his own. This training was for him as a Guardian, not as a L'cie.

When he told Alexander while Paku was airborne, he replied saying he'd give advice if he can offer it, saying he is a Knight first and foremost. His exact words were: **(I will help you where I can, but as a Guardian I cannot do much. I am a Knight after all. Dodge to the left. Dragon.)**

Alexander had helped him slightly when Hope had no chance to dodge something, but otherwise kept quiet, and let his own senses develop.

Jared came back up as the sun was setting, and told Paku to stop, causing Hope to fall on his own ass, panting. Kadeem was right next to them, and they both had a few bruises, and some parts of hope's clothing was charred. Jared just looked at Paku. "You didn't reach 2% did you?"

**No I did not.**

"Figures."

"That... was... hard..." Hope got out, his breathing ragged.

"You expected this to be easy?" Jared asked, eyebrow raised. "Because if you did, then I'm sorry to say you were sadly mistaken. Being a Guardian is tough, but you need to get your Stamina up. You've got 5 more days of this, then a single resting day. 6 days of training, then one day of rest. I'm just glad there haven't been any Crimson Blackmoulds nearby. Considering the fact that you and I don't have to worry about our Brands, we just have to wait for Rose's signal. I can instantly teleport us to her location."

Hope managed a sigh, before passing out. Jared simply looked at Paku, still in his Crimson Half-plate. "So, how far is he?"

**Not much better than a hatchling.**

Jared nodded. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting that much. We'll need him able to take on an Adult Dragon, one who had just reached said state."

**If he can get that far in 3 weeks, I'd be surprised.**

"I wouldn't. He's a Guardian, after all." Jared looked at Hope, before setting up a barrier to block them out from everything. Jared had decided to let the Silver Lobos out of the Shadow Vault, and they went around, after he pointed out the Barrier.

The next 5 days were the same thing: Hope and Kadeem sparred with Paku, while Jared was training on his own, while keeping an eye on the Silver Lobos. The Lightsworns were a bit better, now that they were actually fighting. Wulf had less urges to kill, but still kicked ass.

Sad thing is, after the fighting was over, Celestia tried to rape Jared, who used Stop on her, before Jain used a Shield Bash on the back of her head.

Hope had gotten faster and could dodge most of Paku's attacks with little difficulty, but now he didn't have to use Haste.

Neither he nor Kadeem had landed a single hit in the first week, though. Paku was too quick for ranged attacks, and Hope was not good enough to hit him in Melee.

By the time the Week was over, Jared had managed to master Medic, and was about to start on Saboteur, which still held no progress.

He managed to pick up a pair of Fal'cie, one of which flew. He knew this one to be Dahaka.

As this was the day of rest, Jared simply pulled out his Ocarina, and started to play a few tunes. As he finished the second song, Hope spoke up. "Any chance I could learn to play that?"

Jared looked at him. "Yeah. It'll take a while, but you could. First, we should finish our job. Then I'll teach you. Deal?"

"If we survive."

"Hope, we _will_ survive. Move forward. Never back down." Jared told him. "A Wise Man once said: The enemy is one, you are one. Cast off your fear. Look forward. Go forward. Never stand still. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Stand your ground, and protect your honor as a Guardian." Jared's eyes were peering straight into Hope's, as if searching his soul. "Your fear holds you back. It is what's keeping you from progressing as fast as you should."

"I'm not afraid!" Hope retorted.

"Your eyes say differently. The fear is there. You are denying it. That fear is what cripples you." Jared told him, his voice hard. "Until you let go of it, you will be forever be crippled. This got me over my own fear of spiders. My fear turned into rage for said object."

Hope's eyes widened. _'Am I... Still afraid? Can I do this?'_ He then found himself in a pure white area.

Behind him was a black blur. _"Hope... He is right."_

"Who are you?" Hope asked.

"_That does not matter. You have not cast off your fear. You have merely buried it. Your fear could surface at any time."_ The blur said.

"What do you want from me?!" Hope nearly demanded.

"_Me? I want you to use me to the utmost. To do that, you must heed the words he just spoke to you."_

"But how can I use you?! You're a human!"

"_Not everything is as it seems, Hope. Your father is a good example. When you have cast off your fear, and not bury it, then you will be able to use me to my full potential. It is as he said. Cast off your fear. Look Forward. Go forward. Never stand still. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Stand your ground..."_ The blur was cut off by Hope.

"And protect my honor as a Guardian!"

Just then, a larger version of Barthandelus showed up. The blur was right next to Hope. _"This is your fear. Can you cast off any fear? If you fail, you shall die."_

Hope was about to hesitate, but then remembered something. _'Father... I told you I would do this. I know that I didn't know what I was up against. I thought... if I had my friends with me, then I'd be okay.'_ His eyes closed, and a picture of all 6 L'cie appeared. _'Light, Vanille, Fang, Snow, Sazh, Jared... It's because of you.'_ His eyes snapped open. "It's all BECAUSE OF YOU!"

He now had Nue in hand, and the blur vanished, before Hope charged, and dodged everything that Barthandelus fired at him. Every Spell, even the Thanatosian Laughter. Hope dodge everything, and sent a few spells, all of which are Tier 3. With each hit, Barthandelus shrunk. After it was down to about 2 feet tall, Hope walked up to it. "You're not worth the fear I had." He then punted the figure away.

Nue vanished, and the blur reappeared. _"You seem to have overcome your fear. Now... What was it?"_

"Barthandelus, and what he could do." Hope shook his head. "I had no good reason to fear him. I just didn't know anything." Hope's hands clenched. "That's why I feared him. But that can be changed! He's not worth the fear!" He shot his arm to the side. "It doesn't matter if I don't know anything about him! I can find out, and then I can take care of it!"

He could literally feel the blur smirking. _"Good luck Hope. And I will be in your hand when you return."_

"Wait. What?" Hope immediately found himself back in front of Jared, who looked slightly concerned.

"Finally back?"

"Where was I?" Hope asked.

"Someone called you." Jared pointed at Hope's hand. "And you held Nue the entire time."

Hope looked at it. _'He said he'd be in my hand when I return but... No way. That was _Nue_?!'_

"_Who else?"_ He could hear the tone used, and Hope sweatdropped. "Sometimes, I fear for my sanity."

"Let it go. I did, and look what happened to me." Jared shrugged.

"Not helping, Jared."

"Not meant to, Hope." Jared admitted with a small smile. Hope returned the smile, and they both started to laugh. "So worth it." Hope admitted.

"Oh yeah. Come on, let's just lay back and enjoy the sun, eh?" Jared said, laying down on his back and watching the clouds float by.

Hope did the same, but he was a lot more tense. "Hope, you need to loosen up. That's what the day of rest is for. Relax. You too, Kadeem."

Kadeem looked at Jared. _"What if something comes to attack Hope? I'm not going to let him get hurt because I was relaxing."_

"What do you think Paku's doing?" Jared asked, not bothering to move. "Something hostile comes within 200 feet of our camp, he either turns it back or turns it ash. That's his job for today."

"Wait, you're having Paku guard us?"

"Yeah, he'd be bored otherwise. He doesn't do stealth when speed is not involved, that's why he stayed down here while I was in Cocoon." Jared replied.

"So, we're safe for now?"

"Until he falls asleep, which will probably be late this evening." Jared replied. "For now, just relax, and enjoy Nature."

It took him a while, but Hope managed to finally relax, and just rest. He watched the clouds roll by, but it wasn't the clouds he was seeing. It was a face. 4 of them, actually. One was his mother: Nora Estheim. The second was his father without the disguise he held: Tsuba Tanto, or Bartholomew Estheim. The third one was Vanille, oddly enough. It was strange, but he knew something. He felt something for her, but he didn't know what it was.

Apparently, he couldn't feel his own emotions.

The fourth one was unfamiliar to him personally, but he knew who it was. It was Nue, his face in human form. The face was slightly angled, coal black eyes, ears pointed like an elf's, and brown hair that went past the shoulders, when it cut off at the neck.

He kept thinking on the four faces, and what they were to him.

Paku came back late at Night, and the Silver Lobo group came back as well, as they usually had night guard duty.

They went back into the same schedule the next day: Breakfast, training until mid-afternoon, eat again, which Hope had gotten used to. Of course, he had to sleep more, but Jared had managed to get him to try meditation.

Oddly enough, he felt much more rested that way, than actually sleeping. Still, Paku wasn't holding back much during the day long spars. Each day, Paku could tell how much Hope had progressed.

It was the end of the second week, which prompted Jared to ask Paku where Hope stood. **He's almost where I want him. 3 more days at the new rate. Whatever that boomerang told him, it worked.**

"Seems so." Jared replied. "We'll go for another week, or until Rose goes Dragoon. Either that, or Dahaka goes down. Whichever comes first."

**I got ya. So, how's your own training coming along?**

"About as good as usual. Seriously, these things are really that powerful. I get the same amount of practice at Villude." Jared answered. "Why?"

**Just wondering. Anyway, I found Hope's Immunity.**

This had Jared's attention. "You did?"

**Yup! It's Lightning. Any lightning strike or Lightning element attack won't do shit to him.**

Jared looked at Hope, who was completely relaxed, and then a Kadeem, who seemed to know what he was thinking. _'Kadeem, this is more of a test. I just learned something, and I think it would be best if I tried it out myself.'_

"_Why?"_

_'If I'm not sure on something, I'd end up taking a hit that he would survive, or be immune to. I need to be sure.'_ Jared sent a Lightning Bolt at Hope, which hit his left hand. There was no reaction, but the bolt went all around the body. He looked at Paku. "Damn. Didn't think that would work."

**Told you.**

"Should've listened, eh?"

**I know you too well. I figured you'd do just that when I told you.**

Jared sweatdropped. "Seriously?"

**Like I said, I know you too well.**

"So, Hope's a Lightning element mixed with Dark." Jared said. "Anything else you noticed?"

**Yeah, his main element is NOT Lightning. No, his Water Spells do much more damage than they should. Just like you and your Wind and Dark Spells his Dark and Water spells are more powerful.**

Jared thought for a moment. "You know, if he went to the Pokemon world, I'd say he'd have fun with a Shadow Lugia."

**Shadow Lugia?**

"It's a Polar Opposite of the Beast of the Sea: Lugia." Jared said.

"You could've asked." They heard Hope say. "Regardless of the spells I've learned, Water and Dark are my strongest, for some reason. But for me to be immune to Lightning, and having Water of one of my more powerful Elements?"

"Yeah, it's a little strange." Jared admitted. "But I'm not surprised. I'm Wind and Dark, and I'm immune to Lava, which has neither."

Hope was confused slightly, but shook it off. "I guess weird things just keep popping up, don't they?"

"Just another day in the life of a Guardian." Jared shrugged. "Anyway, I talked over your progress with Paku, and we'll go for one more week. I'm actually thankful we haven't come across any Crimson Blackmoulds. I'm not sure if Paku can handle one, unless he constantly stays airborne, and uses ranged attacks, while I'm miles away."

**You mean those Giant Spider things?** Paku asked.

Jared pulled up an image, and showed it to Paku. "This is what I'm talking about."

**Yeah, I can take 'em. I took out a nest of them with a Bolt Breath followed by repeated Shadow Cannon usage.**

"Wait, you mean you _knew_ about them?" Hope asked, surprised.

**Yeah. I got rid of most of them. They see me, and they run. After taking 52 of them out in 5 hours, they know not to mess with me.** Paku bragged.

"That could help... And so could Omnimon's Supreme Cannon." Jared replied. "Seriously, using that thing with the Mecha Summon ability can take out a lot of enemies."

"Mind if I see it?"

Jared looked at Hope. "Maybe later. This is still a rest day."

Hope nodded. And they decided to just relax, and let the feelings flow.

As Paku said, it was 3 days before Hope was where he needed to be. But they continued for another day.

Now, off schedule, Jared called a Rest Day on the fifth that week. Hope was confused. "Something wrong?"

"No. Paku said you were finished two days ago, but I kept you on it an extra day just in case." Jared admitted. "After this, the four of us are going out to face the wildlife. How's your Crystarium?"

"Pretty good. Commando was mastered. Ravager, Medic, Synergist and Saboteur are mastered too. All that Experience Kadeem and I got from Paku added up quite a bit. Haven't started on Sentinel, though. I've got nothing there." Hope admitted.

"Well, now were going to be traveling the landscape, and taking on threats. This starts tomorrow. I know the General Direction of Rose, I can't feel the others but I _can_ feel Rose."

"I can't feel any of them." Hope pointed out.

"Not surprised. They're about 35 miles out." Jared replied. "Underground too."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Hope replied.

The next day, Hope and Jared finished their before-Dawn Breakfast, Kadeem and Paku did as well, and they headed out as the sun rose.

As they did, they were jogging around, Hope trying to get used to his new stamina. Turns out he had gained more Stamina than he had thought. He was able to keep pace with Jared, though it was nowhere near his full speed. Hope wasn't as tired as before. Then ran into a large group of enemies, mainly Oozes that Jared and Hope didn't even care much for, although there was a good 30 or so of them.

Jared held out his arm. "Remember when you asked about the Supreme Cannon?" Hope realized it was showtime, and nodded.

"Go for it." Was his response.

Jared held out his right hand, which was now covered with a Light Blue wolf head with no eyes, just sockets where the eyes should be. The mouth opened, and a Large Barrel popped out, before Jared pointed it at the Oozes, which just noticed them. "Supreme Cannon!" The Cannon took 2 seconds to charge before it fired, obliterating all of the Oozes, either on contact or by the shockwave.

Hope whistled. "Now _that_ is a cool weapon."

Jared smirked at him. "Better than Nue?"

"Hell no! I'm not trading Nue for anything!" Hope got defensive. "Even though using another weapon would be useful at times, I'd still prefer to use Nue."

Jared smirked. "Thought you'd say that." He looked ahead. "Nue is yours, Hope. I gave it to you for your usage. Now, though, it has chosen you and developed its own spirit. It's bonded to you already."

Hope sent a grateful look at him. "Come on let's go look for some..." He stopped as they both sensed something and turned their heads. "Jared?"

"Felt it with Rose." Jared admitted. "Let's go check it out."

They both ran towards the source, but slowed when they heard an explosion. When they got closer, Jared sent 10 Radar Missiles at the single person in the area.

It was only after he sent them that he realized something. The looks of the person he sent them at. _'Wait. Golden Blonde hair. Deep blue eyes. Is that a Jounin Uniform from Naruto?'_ Indeed it was. It was a Green jacket with several pockets housing scrolls, Navy Blue pants, same colored shirt, Sandals, greaves, arm guards, and a headband with a metal plate on it. On said plate, there was a spiral with a line heading out on one end and an arrow going off the opposite, giving the symbol a Leaf appearance. There were also Dark Blue gloves with metal on them, showing the same symbol.

The man dodged each missile, and glared at the two. "Hope, buff!"

"Uh, right!" Hope immediately started with Protect and Shell, not bothering with debuffs. Jared cast Hastega, knowing it would be needed, and _immediately_ brought out Twilight Dragon to parry a few slashes with a strange Sai. Hope threw Nue, which was enhanced with Enthunder. The man looked to be hit, but a log was cut in its place.

"Who are you?" The figure said in what Jared Recognized as a form of Japanese.

He responded in kind, but never dropped his guard. "It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone theirs."

Hope was confused, but sent a Curasa at Jared.

"You send a few missiles at me, and you're talking about common courtesy?" The man was slightly confused, but not dropping his guard. He noticed the kid, and saw a warrior's look in Hope's eyes.

"Touche. Put your weapons up, and I'll put mine up. I'll tell my partner, which I know you've noticed, to put his up as well." Jared told him.

"How do I know you'll keep your end of the deal?"

"I kept my end of a deal when it put me in a puffy Wedding Dress. You think I'd skimp out on this?"

The man sweatdropped, and put his sai away. Jared put Twilight Dragon up. "Hope, put Nue away."

"What if he attacks?"

"If he does, I'll stop him. Put it away." Jared retorted. Hope put Nue away, and looked at the man. "Mind telling me what language that was?" Hope asked.

"it's an old form of Japanese where I'm from." Jared admitted. "Alright, for trusting my word, I'll tell you my name first. Then you, and then I'll give you my partner's name."

"I understood the language you were speaking." The man said.

Jared nodded. "Alright, as I had agreed, I am Jared Shadowwind. You?"

"Minato Namikaze." The blonde stated. "I'm currently based in Elementia, and fighting a war there. And your friend."

"Hope. Hope Estheim." Hope stated. "Where's Elementia?"

"Believe it or not, another world. I came here as I was given a week of leave, and had to train." Minato admitted.

Jared shook his head. "You mind if I see what that world is like?"

"You want to go there?"

"I might go one day." Jared shrugged. "After all, I'm a Dimensional Guardian. So is Hope."

"You both are Guardians as well?" Minato asked, slightly surprised. They both nodded. "Well, I'll be. Elements?"

"Wind, Dark, and Lightning in that order." Jared answered.

"Dark and Water, in that order." Hope said.

Minato nodded. "I'm Lightning, then Fire. I'm actually on my seventh mission. What about you?"

"My second." Jared.

Hope. "First. This place is my home. It's where I was born. Gotta help save it."

Minato nodded. "My home world was my first, too." He looked at Jared. "What about you? Where was your first?"

"Endiness. Soa is my patron, but her realm is not where I was born." Jared admitted.

Minato raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "So, you were pulled from your home into Endiness, and tasked to help her world?"

Jared nodded. "Yeah. I give you the low down of what's going on in this world, and you let me get the info on your current one?"

Minato thought about it. "Sure, but don't go into my personal life. It's personal for a reason."

Jared nodded, agreeing with that fully, before glowing. Minato glowed soon afterwards, and after a few seconds, the two stopped glowing. Jared looked at Minato who was slightly winded.

Jared took a thoughtful pose. "Someone you worked with is familiar to me."

"Who?" Minato asked.

"Actually, there's two. Psycho and Kushina." Jared said. "Hope hasn't met either of them, and I haven't met Kushina personally, but Kushina sent me a package a while back."

"Wait, how could Kushina send you something? I mean, she wouldn't know Psycho was a Guardian unless she was told."

Jared shrugged. "Psycho is a Psycho. No way around it. There's no telling what's on her mind at any given time. I should know. I tried to read a few times."

"Any chance I'd get some of that information?"

Jared looked at Hope and shrugged. "Maybe later. Can't have you getting distracted."

Minato nodded. "In war, the last thing you want is to be distracted."

Jared nodded. "So, what war are you in?"

"It's currently being called the Third Great Ninja War." Minato stated. "The two before it... well, they weren't pretty."

"In my home, there was a World War which was followed with the second one about 20 years later. Same deal with Elementia?" Jared asked, earning a nod.

"Some people just don't get the fact that high demands from a losing side only leads to more war." Minato shook his head, earning a nod from Jared.

"Few people do. Some want the losers to pay. It's called the Cycle of hatred." Jared stated. "Want to know what I figure is the best way to end that cycle?"

"I'm all ears. Peace in a single world would be much better than constant wars."

"Get someone to focus the world's hatred on. Someone that everyone would hate, just for those following his ideals, which would destroy the world. Once everyone in the world hates that person, a nameless entity takes that person out, where everyone can see him, and BOOM! World peace." Jared shrugged. "It's not exactly a simple task, and is easily time consuming, but sometimes it won't last. Humans aren't exactly an understanding species, you know?"

Minato scoffed. "You don't need to tell me that."

Hope looked between the two. "Do you really think it would work?"

Jared shrugged. "It's a theory, but it has potential. So, Minato... Any children planned?"

Minato looked affronted. "No. Not yet at least. You saw Kushina, right?" Jared nodded. "If she would let me, I'd go after her. She's a spitfire, sure, but she's really kind at heart. Most of her family was killed too."

"Is it out of pity?"

Minato shook his head. "I don't pity her. She'd kick my ass if I did."

Jared chuckled. "Definitely a Spitfire."

"Oh yeah."

Hope looked between the two. "Could someone tell me what's going on?"

They looked at Hope, and shrugged. Jared spoke, though. "Long story short, it's a love interest thing."

Hope blinked, and then nodded. "Any advice? I think I've got one, but I'm not sure. Plus, her sister is scary as hell."

"Sister a Guardian?" Minato asked, earning a nod. "Damn. You know what her experience is?"

"None. Apparently, she just found out a few weeks ago." Hope said. "I found out she was at the same time, too."

Jared's eyes widened. "You're falling for Vanille?"

Hope blushed in response.

"Who's Vanille?" Jared made a hologram appear showing the Ponytailed Red head. Minato whistled. "I wonder if there's something about red heads that attract Guardians."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "How many children have you had?"

"Two, but no one in Elementia knows about them. Might have a third soon."

"I've got two, but neither of them are here." Jared shrugged. "I'm not planning for a third anytime soon, though. Not until I find a brothel, and have a good 20 women ready to tie me down and keep going, one at a time, until I'm done. I haven't gone at it for over 15 years, now."

Minato whistled. "That's pretty good."

"Yeah, but now I'm slipping." Jared pointed out. "If one of them gets turned on enough, I can smell it. I could very well go berserk if I do, and I'd shatter their spirit. If there's enough, my powers are sealed, and I'm tied down, I won't be able to do that. I feel its probably best that way."

Minato nodded. "You don't want to force yourself on anyone, do you?"

Jared shook his head. "I don't like that. Never did. In my eyes, what I'd do is the equivalent of rape, prostitution, and a lot of other things that are illegal where I come from."

Minato shrugged. "I guess that's common among Guardians."

Hope and Jared blinked, and then shrugged. "Who knows?" Jared asked.

"I know we don't." Hope admitted.

"So. Want some help? I got time." Minato offered.

Jared shook his head. "Hope's been a civilian until recently. Only real help I can give him is information at the moment. Still, that Fuuinjutsu stuff will come in handy. I'm a Smith part-time. Give me the specs, and I can make it. I can show him the way, but he has to take it on his own." Then he sent a look at Minato. "Although I am surprised that Sai of yours held up against Twilight Dragon. Mind telling me how a metal blade can stop a Triple Helix Blade made of three types of Energies?"

Minato had the decency to look Sheepish. "Yeah... I have them made and enhance them after I get them. Their virtually indestructible after my adjustments."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you come here?" Hope asked.

Minato looked at him and Shrugged again. "Just went to a random world. Didn't care where. Training can happen anywhere." He then looked at Jared. "I hope you realize the information needs you to start out young to make full use of it, right?"

Jared nodded. "I know just how young, too. Got it from you, after all." Minato nodded. "Should we leave you to train? We separated from the rest of our group so I could finish training Hope's stamina." Paku just landed nearby, and Kadeem was close by now.

"Partners?" Minato asked, earning a pair of nods. "Well, if you want I'll stick around until the week is over. I've temporarily synchronized Elementia with this world."

Jared smiled a bit. "Got any Secrets on Kushina?"

"Even if I did, I'm not sharing." Minato stated. When he didn't get a response, he did a mental check on Jared, but then realized something. "Hey!" Jared was sent out of Minato's mind, and as such, he recoiled a bit. "Don't read minds without permission!"

"I was looking to see if she told you what she told Psycho and myself. Didn't see any mention of it."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"One word: Jinchuuriki." Jared said, earning wide eyes from Minato.

"How do you know..." He trailed off.

Jared pulled out his Storage Device he got from Kushina. "She sent me this." Jared admitted, before opening the message, and showing it to him. "This message came with it." Minato read the message, and his eyes widened.

He then shook his head. "I can honestly say I didn't see that coming." He then sent a calm look at Jared. "Though you seem to know more than you should."

Jared shrugged with his face alone. "It happens when one was born in the Prime Realm."

"Seriously?" Minato asked, surprised.

"I shit you not."

"You got lucky."

Jared shrugged. "What's the Prime Realm?" Hope asked.

"The Prime is the one realm that has a connection to all others." Minato said.

"And yet, there is no God that truly rules over it. Still, it's where I was born. It's where my father died. It's where my mother is. It's where her family is." He clenched his fists. "And they're in danger."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

Jared met his eyes with a steely gaze. "Preparation." Hope looked at him, confused. "I'm not good enough. I'd have to handle it alone. Few Guardians come from there, to my knowledge. I have a reason to fight that menace. My Patron is giving me time to prepare. When I go back, it means that I'm ready to take on what threatens them, alone if need be. Whether I like them or not, they're still family."

"What makes you think you can take on an unknown threat and win?" Minato questioned, his voice serious.

"I don't." was Jared's simple reply, before he looked up. "All I can do is keep moving forward. Gain as much experience as possible. I can only hope that I get enough strength, or manage to find some help." He then stared into Minato's eyes. "If I don't do it, then who will? Who would take the burden of saving a world that isn't theirs on their own? I can't do that here, because I don't have a reason to fight. That's why I gathered some people who had a reason to fight. There, at least I have a reason to fight. Here I don't. Here is just a mission. Without a reason, no one can go all out. You should know this."

Minato thought for a moment, sighed, and nodded. "You're right. How many locals are willing to fight?"

"Six."

Minato nodded, before looking at Hope. "And you're one of the six, aren't you?" Hope nodded.

"What they did, took my mother. They killed innocent people just because they thought we were tainted with something they called bad. They fed civilians lies. They consider the populace mere tools. Man, Woman, Child, Elders, Soldier Civilian, it doesn't matter. To them, we're just pawns." Hope clenched his fists. "They have to be stopped. Before more innocent people get hurt for no reason."

Minato stared into Hope's eyes for 3 seconds, and nodded. "Stick to that. But what do you consider precious to you?"

"My friends. My father." Hope closed his eyes. "My mother..." He shook his head, and then looked at Minato. "I made a promise. I would not stop. Not until the Sanctum can't harm any more innocent bystanders. If that means I get hurt, then so be it. At least I'm doing it to save them from a threat they can't handle."

"And if you have to kill someone?"

Hope looked down. "I already have. I don't like it, but it was kill or be killed. Other times, it was either I kill them, or they kill innocents. I can't let that happen."

Minato nodded with a smile. "You will be strong. Remember this: 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.'"

Hope blinked and looked at Jared. "You met him before?"

Jared shook his head. "Not once. I just know the saying from my birth home."

Minato looked confused. "I might have to go there. Where'd you hear it?"

"Anime."

"Title?"

"Not saying. All I'll say is it starts after the Third Shinobi War, which you're in right now. When I left the Fourth War was on. Main character is your son. Not naming names, but I'll give you some advice. Read 'The Tale of a Gutsy Shinobi'. It's the Toad Sage's first book, and didn't sell well. Ask him about it and read it if you're ever going to have a child."

Minato thought about it, and shrugged. "Worth a shot. Hope its not like his Icha Icha, though. That would suck."

Jared shook his head. "If it is, find me, and use the Sennin Goroshi. I'll take it like a man."

"Sennin Goroshi?" Hope asked, confused. Minato, on the other hand, looked at him in surprise.

"You know about it?"

"Of course. Third episode, I believe." Jared said.

After a moment of silence, Minato spoke again. "Prove it."

"On who?"

"Anyone but me."

Jared looked around, and saw a few monsters, but then smirked. "fine by me."

Jared vanished, and reappeared behind Hope, hands together in a single handsign, index and middle fingers outstretched. "Sennin Goroshi!" he shoved his fingers into Hope's ass, surprising him, before he took off like a rocket through the sky.

When he finally regained his bearings, he let loose a Ruinga towards Jared, who safely deflected it with his left hand. "Nice Try Hope." the Explosion didn't do anything to them, being out of range.

"This happen often?" Minato asked.

"Only when I annoy him." Jared replied.

"Got it."

"JARED TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!" Hope shouted, sending multiple spells, which were either deflected or dodged.

Jared and Minato smiled at the interaction, while they dodged each of the spells sent their way. As it happened, Jared asked a question. "Hey Minato?"

"Yeah?"

"Any chance you could explain Fuuinjutsu after he calms down?"

"Why not?" Minato replied.

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!

Another Guardian added! Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage (Fourth Fire Shadow), Kiiroi Senkou (Yellow Flash), Seal Master (Which Jared now has access to), and Chakra Information Specialist.

Jared also knows how he does each of his skills through the Memory Transfer (gained through Psynergy).


	11. Keep moving!

Alright, with Golden Kitsune in a lapse, I think I should put this up.

Although, I would like to ask the readers this: Has anyone ever reached 400 PMs in the same conversation?

Seriously, I have 400 PMs under one thread with Chaos Snow Kitsune, formerly known as Chaos Snow Kitsune.

Anyone have one like that? I'm actually curious, and so is he.

Anyway, now that that's out there (I plan to put it in my other stories too, when I update them) Time to move on.

**Chapter 11**

6 Ci'eth just fell onto the same Stalagmite, and Jared is shown smirking with Cerberus in hand. "Ci'eth kill of the week, or what?" He asked, over his shoulder.

Two others looked, and one of them shook his head. "That's nothing. _This_ is how you kill with style." The Blonde male, Minato Namikaze, waved his hand, causing Clear crystals to charge into 3 Ci'eth causing them to morph together, and then implode on itself.

Jared shook his head. "Fusion and then Implosion... Not bad."

"That is _not_ style." A silver haired teen said with finality. "That's flair. _This_ is style." He took out his boomerang, Nue, and threw it over a 5 story tall Quadruped, but didn't hit it.

"The target is a Ci'eth, not a Long Gui." Naruto pointed out, before he saw the teen's smirk.

"Take a look." Jared looked back at the Long Gui, and not much, but then he noticed a powder sprinkling all over the body. He only saw the powder due to his highly trained eyesight. Then he looked around the Long Gui, and his eyes widened. _'Please tell me the powder isn't...'_

Just then, he saw the Long Gui's pupils dilate, before it rolled over the Ci'eth near the its feet, trying to scratch its back. The Long Gui had killed 22 Land-based Ci'eth, and 4 Aerial Ci'eth before it was done.

Minato and Jared just stared as the Long Gui just killed all the Ci'eth in shock. They turned to the Teen. "Hope... I can't believe I'm saying this but... I can't top that." Jared admitted, his voice low.

Minato just looked at the kid in surprise. "Okay... I should've gotten tips from Kushina on style... Either that, or have you meet her and you can talk style, because that was _definitely_ her style."

"Hey Minato?" Jared started. "Can you come here for a second?"

"What?" Minato was just within Jared's armspan, and found himself socked in the face.

"_Ugh! You god damn wanker! You punched me in the Ugh!"_ He was punched in the same spot. _"You did it again!"_ Another punch. _"AH! Stop it!"_ Another punch. Minato was holding his face. _"Piss!"_ _'Oh, what did Sensei tell me about this situation?'_

He heard a perverse giggling voice speak in his head. _"Minato, if you ever find yourself being punched repeatedly in the face, always remember to..."_

Minato's face got hit again. _"Argh! He cut off my sensei!"_

"So, aren't you gonna dodge any of these?" Jared asked, hiding his smirk.

"_Ooooh! So that's what Sensei sa-OUCH!"_ Minato sent a furious look at Hope. "Hope! Support!"

Hope had to hide his smirk. Jared had already shown him this one. "Well, you have very nice hair, you're a beautiful shade of tan, and honestly? You're the only guardians I know well enough to work with."

"Well then, Punch him you damn bastard!" Hope sent a kick his way, while Minato sent an elbow down on Jared. Both were blocked with an elbow from Jared, who then tripped Hope, and tried to sweep kick Minato, who backflipped out of the way, while Jared spun on his head like a break dancer, before getting on his feet, seeing both ready to strike again, with his arms crossed, fists clenched. "Stop. Hammer time!" Both arms went out and sent both of them flying with a powerful shockwave.

The two stopped, though Hope did so before Minato, thanks to the Energy Wings Jared had implemented into his mind, before he went flying back to Jared, who was smirking. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Couldn't resist." Jared admitted.

Minato then made it back, and was now glaring at Jared. "What was _that_ for?" His nose was bloodied, but that was the extent of his injuries.

Jared glowed, and then Minato did the same, before it faded. "You walked right into Jeice's position when you came towards me. Team Four Star, believe it or not, are geniuses. Now you know, and can help me get some of the others." Jared was now smirking.

Minato just stared and Jared before shaking his head. "You got any more? I might try to use them myself one day. I know Kushina would get a laugh out of some of them."

Jared smirked. "Come. We have business elsewhere." He looked out. It had been 3 days since Minato had joined Hope and him, and Hope has been getting a lot better. Minato had placed him at Chuunin Level, while Jared was at his level in everything but pure speed and raw strength, counting his Magic as Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.

"What's more is, the others just took down a Fal'cie." Jared stated. "My guess: Dahaka."

"I remember _him_." Minato stated. "It's too bad, I never saw my little girl grow up. Had to leave when she was 4 months old." He shook his head. "Gran Pulse is more deserted than I realized though. I just hope my daughter here survived."

Hope and Jared looked at him. "Daughter?"

"Yeah, she was born into the Yun Clan." Minato explained what the mother looked like, which was eerily reminiscent of Fang.

"The daughter. What was her name?" Hope asked, hoping he was right.

"Fang was the daughter's name. Her mother's name was..." Minato was cut off by Jared.

"Serraco. Yun Serraco from the village of Oerba." Jared said, cutting him off.

"Okay, you already told me you hadn't been here for much longer than a few months. How did you know?"

"Minato... Fang's a L'cie, she completed her focus once, but in doing so, she had become a Guardian as she turned to Crystal." Jared explained. "I know about her mother, because I read her mind about it."

"So... she's no longer a crystal?" Minato asked, hope now in his voice. "I hadn't seen her in so long... I hope she remembers me... and not that I left."

Hope looked at Jared. "You don't think we can go to her location, do you?"

"Rose is teaching her right now, and the Fal'cie are easier to pick up than they are. Still..." He looked past a nearby mountain range. "They're not far from here. If we can book it through the mountains then we can get to them before they reach Oerba."

"Taejin's Tower is the fastest route." Jared pulled out a stack of papers, and handed them to Minato. "I hope you know good tech. You have one hour."

Minato looked at him, and then the papers, showing wings. His eyes widened, and sat down, before going through each paper several times, just to make sure he got it straight. Hope made his Energy wings, which was a Dark Blue color, yet translucent.

Minato managed to make his own. His was a Deep Crimson, and translucent but the same shape as Hope's.

Jared just went Dragoon. "Come on. Let's get going." He took off at a much slower pace than before. Hope and Minato followed suit, though Minato was shaky at first. "You're not used to flying, are you?"

Minato was slightly panicked, but managed to nod.

Jared just turned over, and looked at him. "Minato, flying is quite simple. You need to relax, and let your body guide you. Not the mind. The mind sets its limits, and flying is not within those limits your mind set. Ignore the limits. The sky is _not_ the limit, because, as you can see, we're in the sky now."

Jared had a major grin on his face, and he turned forward again. "It's not about thinking, and hoping you're doing the right thing. It's about doing something without a care as to the results. To fly, is to be free." His voice was more like a kid, than an adult. "It's why I like it so much, and was actually quite pissed when I found out my Dragoon form was locked away."

"I figured, but I didn't know you well enough at the time to be sure." Hope admitted.

"Didn't think you would Hope." Jared replied.

The moment Minato had gotten rid of any attachments to his limits, he evened out, an flew seamlessly. Jared knew when he did, too.

Paku had come up to them, and Minato's eyes hardened. "Hang on, Minato. Paku, what's up? Where's Kadeem?" Jared said, stopping.

**Oh, Jared. I just took out another Crimson Blackmould. We're actually pretty close to the nest, if you want to blow some shit up.** Paku stated. **And Kadeem is on my back.**

Hope looked on Paku's back, and saw Kadeem. "Kadeem! How you doing?"

"_I'm fine. We're about to go kick ass and take names, and we've got a surplus of names already."_ Kadeem replied.

"That saying is _so_ overused." Jared shook his head, before looking at Minato. "You want to kick some ass, and give Aerial Combat a try?"

"And this guy?"

"The dragon is Paku, and he's my partner. My Vassal Dragon. The Lobo on his back is Kadeem. Kadeem and hope are partners in the same way Paku is mine. Kadeem is actually a Silver Lobo, and was damn near ready to kill me when we met. I took him in, got him out of the place that kept him captive, and a few weeks ago, I blew the place to Kalamazoo. I'll thin them out with a few Jericho's. We take them on up close from there. Deal?"

Hope and Minato nodded. "I'll help. I've got the Jericho memorized. Let's hope I get it right."

"Have some hope, Hope." Jared grinned at the joke.

Paku pointed at a single area. The group had made it to the area where the nest was, and most of the oversized spiders were looking at Paku in slight fear. There was 92 of them there.

However, when 7 missiles came into the area, Jared riding one like a snowboard, Hope doing the same with another. They both jumped off and the missiles separated before multiple explosions went out into the nest.

-Taejin's Tower, roof-

The L'cie and Rose looked to the side as a massive explosion appeared. Rose noticed several smaller explosions before the large one, which meant one of two things: One, Jared used a Jericho. Two, that was a nest of Crimson Blackmoulds that Jared, Hope, and the mysterious visitor stumbled upon, and are now trying to either get out of there, or just blast the beasts to smithereens.

Rose hoped it was the first, but not the second.

"What the hell was that?" Fang questioned.

"That was Jared." Lightning answered.

"I know _that_. What did he use?"

"My guess? A Jericho Missile...maybe more than one." Rose stated. "From what I can gather, that explosion meant one of two things: Jericho was used, or that's a nest of Crimson Blackmoulds."

"We need to get there fast." Sazh replied.

Fang shook her head. "Not gonna do a whole lot of good for us. From here it'll take us 17 hours by land, and 40 minutes by air. By that time, they'll either be dead, or fleeing."

"You give him too little credit." Lightning pointed out.

"She's right. He's still strong, regardless of how stupid he can act." Rose admitted. "Besides, I can tell he's in his Dragoon Form. If he goes into his Second State, I'm not sure who I'd be worried for."

"Why?"

"He can rarely control that form." Rose pointed out. "Normally, he turns into a true beast of destruction. I've seen him use it 3 times, but the third time was the only one he had _any_ control of it, whatsoever. I'm not sure of his progress since then, though."

"Think we should watch from here?" Lightning questioned.

"I say we go to the area and help out." Fang retorted.

"I'm with Fang here." Snow added. "He could use some help."

"He's got two Dimensional Guardians with him, and Paku as well." Rose stated. "I doubt he'll need it."

"What about Hope?" Vanille asked. "I don't want him to be hurt by this."

"You falling for him, little missy?" Fang raised an eyebrow, with a teasing voice.

Vanille couldn't meet Fang's eyes.

Fang just summoned her Eidolon, and turned it into his Gestalt Mode. "Get on, everyone!" Everyone but Rose did. Instead, she jumped off the side of the tower, and went Dragoon herself. Her armor was similar to Jared's Dragoon armor, but tuned more for a female, meaning the Platemail skirt, and being a Dark Purple, bordering on black color. Rose looked at Bahamut, who was slightly scared of her for some reason.

One was a Dark Dragon, the other was a Dark Dragoon. Plain and simple.

Although, Bahamut didn't know that.

However, after 5 minutes there was another massive explosion that resulted in a Black Sphere to appear and suck in everything around it. Fang was surprised. "What is that?"

"I don't know... but if it's anything like what he used against Melbu, then it means he's about to get serious." Rose stated.

However, then Dark wind started spiraling around the now shrinking Black Orb, before rocks, metal, and at least 40 spiders, which everyone could see from Miles out.

Apparently, it was a nest of Crimson Blackmoulds. After the 40 Spiders went in, Lightning came from above, wind came from their left, Fire from the right, and then Missiles went in from all directions.

Rose's eyes widened. "Get down and brace yourselves!" She shouted, causing confusion. "That wasn't an explosive, THAT WAS A BLACK HOLE!"

Everyone then turned around, aside from Rose, who had just bee covered in Black Flames. Her voice now distorted, she spoke. "Go back to the tower. I will meet you there." She then blasted off, Black fire trailing behind her flaming form.

Bahamut mostly relaxed, but then went back to the tower as soon as he could.

The Five L'cie on his back looked back, wondering why it was so bad, until a giant Crimson, Orange and Yellow Dragon with wings similar to Jared's Dragoon Form came into view from the left, before it charged straight through the Black Hole, and came out the other side.

As it was starting to destabilize, Snow was the only one to see Rose go through it as well, from their side to the opposite, causing a massive explosion of blood, guts, and gore. How did Snow see it? Simple.

He had Binoculars in his hands, and no one else noticed. "If I were a lesser man, or a normal civilian, I would be hurling my guts right now." Snow commented.

"Come again?" Lightning turned to him, and saw the Binoculars. "Where did you get those?"

Everyone looked at him, and saw them as well. "Took 'em from Jared's House in his shadow."

Lightning sent a deadpanned look at him. "Better hope he doesn't find out."

-Crater-

Jared, Hope and Minato were standing in the center of the crater, as Rose landed, in her Stage 2 form. "Jared, what were you _thinking_?!"

"Black End Galaxy." Jared shrugged. "But why are you here?"

"We saw the explosion from the Jericho Missile." Rose pointed out.

"Uh... There were Seven." Jared pointed out.

"And the Black Hole came from...?" Rose trailed off.

"Small bomb. High yield." Jared shrugged. "It has it's own gravitational force, in which I can use Dark and Wind, and have it surround the Explosion, creating the Black hole. Black End Galaxy is a simple matter from there."

"I sent in quite a few missiles during that." Hope added.

"I was mostly sending in other things." Minato admitted.

"So, you're the Guardian that entered the Realm 3 days ago?" Rose was looking at Minato.

Minato nodded. "Just heard that my daughter is nearby, and is a L'cie. You know where she is?"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Is her name Oerba Yun Fang?" Minato nodded. "She's on top of Taejin's Tower, most likely. I told them to go back while I went ahead. I wasn't sure if they would survive _your_ Stage 2 Dragoon."

Jared shook his head. "I've gotten much more control over it. More than I thought possible to be honest."

"How much control?"

"I can go back and forth at will, with no side effects... at least not anymore." He shrugged. "I can only hold it for 20 minutes though. Not as good as you are, but at the very least I'm in complete control."

Rose put her hands on her hips, and bent down slightly. "It took me 400 years to do that. And you did it in what? 10 years?"

"Uh... Actually, it took me four months to do that. 3 days after those four months, I was in Bodhum, about to start my next mission. However, it's still possible for me to lose control of it. Really, it depends on what my thoughts are before I do so." He shrugged. "If the thought is made in rage, it's harder to control. If it is done through a want, like wanting to protect someone, then I can hold it and control myself enough to not attack my allies."

"How did you gain more control that quickly?" Rose asked, now curious.

"Mental fortitude and Power of Will." Jared replied. "I've been told either I am too stubborn to die, or have a will that not even Fire can bend. I think it's a bit of both."

"Do you mind if I see?" Minato questioned. "You know, before I have to go back to Elementia?"

Jared shrugged, and poked Minato's forehead with his index and middle fingers, causing his eyes to glaze over for a few minutes. When they returned to normal, Minato shook his head. "Will of Fire. You definitely have the Will of Fire." Minato sighed. "If I were you, I'd come to Konohagakure the first chance you get. Hiruzen would have a field day trying to teach someone like you."

Jared shrugged. "Something tells me that's where I'll be next, anyway."

"Why is that?" Rose questioned.

"Remember back in the Moon That Never Sets?" Seeing Rose nod, he continued. "I told you I met Fang."

"Yes."

"Fang was born in this realm."

"Aye." Minato replied.

"And this is where the next mission I had was." Jared pointed. "On my last mission, I ran into a Guardian that was a part of my current mission. Now, this may just be a theory, but if I had to guess, my next Mission is in Elementia, due to Minato being here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it were."

"That place has been heading for shit city since I got there." Minato pointed out. "Constantly in war. I could use some help. If you're willing to come along."

"When I've taught Hope here all I can, then I'll come. I have a promise to hold to." Jared replied, putting a hand on Hope's shoulder. "When I'm done, I'll see what I can do about Elementia. I'll probably take a backseat to the time stream, though. I get the feeling that I'm not entirely important to the events, but... if I do help out, it'll be to guide the ones to actually handle it."

"Fair enough, I guess." Minato replied, before looking at Rose, and holding one of his Three-pronged Kunai, that still looked eerily like a Sai. "You mind going back to Fang, and impale this on something when you do? I'd like to see my daughter. I haven't been able to recently."

"She was decrystallized a few weeks ago, so you have a chance." Jared stated.

"I'll get it to her, then. See you in a few minutes." Rose took off into the air.

Minato nodded, and a few minutes later, he had effectively vanished, leaving Hope and Jared alone in the crater, with Paku and Kadeem. Hope looked at Paku. "You mind carrying Kadeem to Oerba? We'll meet you there."

**Sure, but it's up to him.**

"_Might as well."_

Hope and Jared nodded, as Jared released his Dragoon Form. He was slightly winded, but not by much. "Come on, Hope. We'll make the rest of the way on foot."

Hope nodded as Paku took off with Kadeem on his back.

Jared and Hope walked for a while, entering in a much more forested area, causing Jared to smile. "Hope, I believe it's time for you to learn something about all this."

"About what?" Hope asked, now curious. Jared hasn't given him any lessons since they were in the Fifth Ark, which confused him slightly.

"Hmm... I guess I'll give you a rare treat, so that way it sticks."

Hope was slightly confused, but then he heard a bit of music.

However, it wasn't long until he heard Jared _singing_.

"Like every tree stands on its own," Jared tapped a tree branch. "Reaching for the sky, I stand alone." He looked at Hope, who was confused. "I share my world, with no one else, all by myself, I stand alone."

Hope was surprised as the forest and wildlife seemed to take him where he wanted to go without asking. Hope tried to follow, but it wasn't easy.

Jared was now on a pillar of stone, that only looked Naturally worn. Hope was following him, by jumping from the other pillars. Jared had a Staff in hand, and he tapped it on the pillar he was on.

_I know the sound_

_of each rock and stone_

_And I embrace what others fear_

_Most are not to roam_

_in the forgotten place_

_Just the likes of me_

_you're welcome here_

Jared jumped ahead slightly, causing Hope to follow, now interested.

They both went through a few branches, going over and under some large tree roots.

_Everything breathes_

_and I know each breath_

_For me it means life_

_For others its death_

_It's perfectly balanced_

_Perfectly planned_

_More than enough_

_for this man_

Jared took to sliding down a mud slide, which Hope followed.

_Like every tree_

_stands on its own_

_reaching for the sky_

_I stand alone_

Jared had reached a small lake, and walked onto the water, which rose up as he took steps, getting to a higher cliff.

I share my world

with no one else

all by myself

I stand alone

Hope got the idea, and let the nature and Wildlife guide him.

Jared looked at Hope with a smile, who had gotten it, but he wasn't going to stop soon. Leaves left the area, and floated around Jared, who smiled softly as they flew around him, before they did the same to Hope, before they continued.

_I've seen your world_

_with these very eyes_

_Don't come any closer_

_they shouldn't even try_

_I've felt all the pain_

_and heard all the lies_

_But in my world_

_there's no compromise_

As they continued to trek through the wooded area, using branches, slides, and the occasional tree stump, they made their way through, but this time, Hope continued.

"_Like every tree_

_stands on its own_

_Reaching for the sky_

_We stand alone_

_We share our world,_

_with no one else_

_all by ourselves_

_we stand alone_

Jared decided to continue with him.

_All by ourselves we stand alone._

_All by ourselves we stand alone._

As their trek came through, they eventually found themselves on a cliff, overlooking a large lake. Hope was right next to Jared, looking over the lake, the music now fading.

"Hope, what was the lesson there?" Jared asked, not really caring much for the lesson being learned.

Hope noted this, but answered anyway. "There's life in places that most don't bother to look at, right?" Jared nodded with a smile.

"And?"

"Everything has a purpose. People can be deceiving, and people get hurt because of them."

"Another good point. What else?"

Hope didn't even hesitate to continue. "To find the truth, you have to find the balance. What I saw back there was Balance. You and Nature were balanced. Finding that balance, I could follow you with more ease."

"And that was the most important lesson in that." Jared sent Hope a grateful look. "Everything is in Balance." He touched the cliff beneath him. "The Earth and sky." He raised his hand up. "Day and night." He pointed at the sunset, and then where the darkness was coming from. "Sound and silence, dark and light. What you need in life, and must protect as a Guardian, is Balance itself. You saw back there that I was in balance with nature, right?"

Hope nodded. "Yeah. Is that what you mean?"

"In a way." Jared took a seat. "Have a seat. You just saw what happens when one who is attuned to nature puts himself in balance with it. Knowing something and believing it, are two separate matters. Understanding it is a third. Balance is everywhere. You can't get rid of it. Gods, Goddesses, Deities, they all have to maintain it, but when they can't, and things get out of hand, a Guardian is called in. You saw an outer balance." Hope was now sitting next to him, four legs hanging over the cliff. "To truly understand balance, you need to find it within yourself."

"Any tips?" Hope asked.

Jared shook his head. "I can't help you there."

"Why not?" Hope was confused.

"Because, Hope, only you can find that balance. You have to find out where you lack, and balance it out. It's not matter of skill. It's not a brains vs Brawns deal. To find Balance within yourself, is the same as achieving Inner Peace, in a sense. You accept every part of you, the good side, and the bad side. Finding the Balance in yourself is not easy. It took me 30 years for _that_. 20 of those years, I spent not knowing where to begin, or what to do. Why was I different? Why could I do things others couldn't?" Jared shook his head, his face now showing sadness, and confusion. "I had to hide myself. True, I loved training my abilities, even from a young age, but even so, I could put everyone around me in danger. I brought down a Category 4 Tornado once. It wasn't until I was 25 years old that I found the balance in myself. But that wasn't the end of it."

Hope was just listening. "Hope, even when I found the balance inside of me, I couldn't accept it. Sure, others thought I just moved on from it, but in reality, I was just running ahead to find the problem. I wasn't looking for the answer."

"Why not?"

"Because, when you don't even know the problem, how can the answer even show itself as such? It took me nearly 15 years to find out what it was. What I was looking for. What I really wanted... was to forgive myself for things I blamed myself for. Things I still blame myself for. There are some things I still hold regret for, and blame myself. I found that balancing myself, protecting what I can... if I do enough good then maybe... maybe I can forgive myself for my own sins. Until then, I can't ask the ones I wronged to forgive me."

Jared laid on the ground. "Get some rest Hope. We'll make Oerba tomorrow. The others should make it there in 2, maybe 3 days."

Hope nodded and did the same on the rock, looking up at the stars, which were actually shining. "Hey Jared?"

"Thinking about the stars?" He asked.

"More like why I can see them down here, and not on Cocoon." Hope replied.

"The Sanctum Fal'cie don't like Gran Pulse, for the most part. They try to cut everything related to Pulse from Cocoon. That includes the night sky, and all its beauty." Jared sighed. "Honestly, Carbuncle didn't like it, but the other Fal'cie we've passed didn't agree. Carbuncle is alone in that regard. She doesn't care either way for Gran Pulse or Cocoon. She's the Lone Wolf of the Sanctum Fal'cie."

"You weren't in the sewer tunnels with us." Hope pointed out.

"Didn't have to be. Telepathy, remember?" Hope shut up at that and just admired the stars. "If want to find a way to fall asleep, then just connect the dots with the stars. Make random pictures, and name them. It helps. I know from experience."

-the next morning-

Jared had woken up, and cleaned himself off using a combination of Douse Psynergy and a heated Cyclone Psynergy. He checked on the rest of the L'cie, Rose and Minato. They were still a ways away from Oerba. He then decided to sense into the small village over the lake. He felt one human, and several Ci'eth. He decided to do some early morning shooting practice using the Ci'eth as targets.

He now had an M40A3 used by the US Marine Corps, using a Thermal Vision Sight. He had long since found out that Ci'eth gave off less body heat than humans, and even other monsters. He aimed into the village, and spotted a Ci'eth. He targeted a larger Ci'eth, and saw the Human on edge. Apparently, the Ci'eth had woken her up.

Yes her. The human was female, and Naruto knew, full well, who it was. Thankfully, the Sniper Rifle had a suppressor on it, so when he targeted the Ci'eth and fired, Hope wasn't disturbed. There was no sound.

Direct hit.

The woman saw what happened to the Ci'eth, and now was confused. The traced the flinch and followed it to another area across the lake, where the possibility of where the shot came from was.

Jared pulled the trigger, and she saw it. The slight muzzle flash. She knew then, there was a sniper, and it was helping her. She didn't really have much to strike with. Only a small lead pipe.

She went around her hiding spot, and hit the Ci'eth, knocking it down, and got out of the way of the Sniper, who then finished it off. The Ci'eth dissolved, and she looked back at the Sniper's location, and gave them a "thank you" motion with her hand, before sitting down in exhaustion.

Jared knew what it was. He used the shadows to form another him, and sent it over there.

-in the village-

Jared, or the shadow, walked up to the woman. "It's been a while, Jihl."

"Wait, it's you!" the woman replied. "Why did you send me here?"

"To show you the truth, and let you think without the Sanctum's influence." Jared replied, before leading her to a metal box, in which they sat down on. "If you have any questions right now, go ahead and ask."

"Where is here?" Jihl asked.

"This is the village of Oerba. On a larger scale, we're on Gran Pulse, or as the Sanctum calls it, Pulse." Jared explained what happened after he sent her out. "So, what do you think of the place?"

"Not as peaceful as you, I'll admit." Jihl replied. "Still, there is a certain... feeling I get from the area. I've never felt it before."

"Is it the feeling that, regardless of how similar some places are in Cocoon, it seems to... fit together better than the air does in Cocoon?" Jared tried to describe it.

"That's the one."

"It's because you're feeling Actual Nature. Cocoon doesn't have that kind of Nature. It's all faked. I was immobilized for a few days when I actually got to the ground here. Seriously, the influx of Actual Natural Energy was so intoxicating, I literally fell limp. I wanted to move, but I couldn't bring myself to. I was in pure bliss from the Natural Energy alone."

"Must have been nice."

"It was actually a bit of a pain." Jared admitted. "I can't really sit still for long periods of time, unless I'm doing something that keeps my eye. Like when I took that gun from the grunt in Bodhum before the festival."

Jihl shook her head. Her time down here was mind boggling. She never even _thought _that this was Pulse. "Anyway, I actually never considered that this would be Pulse. This place is no more dangerous than the Gapra Whitewood. Same rules with the wildlife, just a wider variety."

"It's that variety that makes the place much better for training." Jared admitted. "Anyway, the other L'cie are on their way here. Should make it here tomorrow, aside from one of them. He's where I was sniping... And still am."

"Wait, what?" Jihl was confused.

"When your men saw me use the Shadow Cannon on those Thexterons in Bodhum, I told it it was because Reaper was Sentient. You remember that?"

"I remember saying it wasn't possible."

"Well, that was really only half the puzzle there. Reaper _is_ sentient, and so is Cerberus. It was strange at first, but after a few years, I got used to it. I've effectively got 4 voices in my head... well, three 24/7, one when he wants to talk. "

"Reaper, Cerberus, and what else?"

"Actually, Reaper was finally being worn out. I've been using him for a good 35 years, after all. So, I used something that I learned before I came to either Pulse or Cocoon. It befit one my hobbies highly well, actually." Jared admitted. "I'm a damn good weapons smith, but I don't stop there. You ask me to make something, I'm pretty damn sure I can make it. You know the suits PSICOM Elites use?"

"What about them?"

"Picture a place similar to Gran Pulse, take away any knowledge of guns, or technology in general. No Electricity, no TV, no Fal'cie, the most advanced technology was a Warship which was a wooden boat with metal plating." Seeing Jihl nod, he continued. "Now, picture someone being able to use a source of Magical Energy, and local smithing techniques to create an armor similar to the PSICOM Elites, tied into the users Nervous System, Powered by their very Willpower, capable of flight, hidden weapons, a triple barrel Gatling gun on the back with a Rotating Base, plasma blades on the wrists, and able to take a hit from a Feral Behemoth in the Gapra Whitewood. Not to mention the Magic Reflector capability that my armor usually has. In a world where long range weaponry was limited to bows, small catapults, and a maximum of 5 Old World Cannons in the entire world, I made just that. At the moment, my son holds it, and is using it."

"Could that really be possible?" Jihl asked.

"It is. I'm currently trying to make another one, but getting a strong enough power source isn't easy. I would need a constant stream of about 300 Teravolts in order to power this one. That, or the equivalent amount of Spiritual Energy." Jared shook his head. "I haven't figured out how to do that here, or in Cocoon... at least not without draining an entire city for 9 hours."

"I found a type of archives here, and it has things on L'cie. When I found that, I was looking for any way to remove the brand, but... I did find something else." Jared raised an eyebrow. "I found out about the Dimensional Guardians."

Jared's eyes widened. "I didn't think there was any records on them that wasn't in the Guardian Language."

"Well, it wasn't much, but... I found out the Dimensional Guardians _never _have a focus. They can be branded, but they cannot be given a Focus. If one is a Potential Dimensional Guardian and branded, and they complete their focus..."

"They turn to crystal and become a Guardian." Jared finished.

"How did you know that?"

"Oerba Yun Fang, one of the L'cie. It happened to her, and she's a Guardian. Anything else you find?"

"That they were effectively ageless. They stop aging at 22 years old, or the human equivalent. There wasn't much else, though. Just that they're almost always alone for most of their lives." Jihl sighed. "That begs the question..."

"Yes, I'm a Dimensional Guardian." Jared said, no emotion in his voice. "I'm not even from this dimension."

"Then why save me?" Jihl questioned. "Why not just let me die on the Palamecia? I tried to kill you on multiple accounts, and even used Dajh against his father. You probably knew that, too, so why?"

Jared looked at the rising sun. "Because, Jihl, you had seen and felt the truth. I know you heard what Dysley told us. You're the only one that wasn't a L'cie that knows the truth. Aside from Carbuncle, I haven't seen or met a Sanctum Fal'cie that truly cares for the people of Cocoon. Phoenix is indifferent, and doesn't care either way. The Maker called me in. She gave me the full story. She already told me about Orphan and what will happen. Barthandelus was wrong. Killing Orphan, will not destroy Cocoon. Orphan feeds the Fal'cie Eden with power, yes. But all other places in Cocoon are unaffected by his death. We also have a deal with the Maker, as well. We do this, all L'cie used in her plan, meaning the ones I'm working with, are going to keep whatever powers they gained, but not have to worry about another focus. Those that turned to Crystal, such as Serah Farron and Dajh Katzroy, will be returned to normal. Cid Raines is another that will be returned to normal. He may be a Sanctum L'cie, but he helped us in a way. Because of this, he'll be freed from the shackles that bound him."

"How do you know the Maker will deliver?"

Jared had a frown on his face. "She'll have to be the Eternal Slave of Hope Estheim. It was approved and witnessed by 4 other Gods, so if she doesn't deliver and then refuses, she'll be stripped of her God Status, and it'll happen anyway."

"So... she delivers or she's screwed?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Jared looked around. "You've cleared the place out mostly."

"For the last week since I found this place." Jihl admitted. "It's been harsh, but I've managed. I've been hoping that someone would come and wouldn't be hostile."

"And I'm the first you saw."

Jihl nodded. "But above everything else... I should thank you."

"Only one knows about your survival, and that's Hope. He's a Guardian, too. His father asked me to train him in the ways of the Guardians while he returns to his former self. He sealed off most of his abilities but left a few of them. Knowing that the Maker got into this, he decided to help us out. We've also got the survivors of the Bodhum Purges backing us. Not sure about those from Palumpolum, but if anyone's going to coordinate them, it'll be Tsuba, Hope's father. Records call him Bartholomew Estheim, but he took that name to keep out of sight. He tried living a normal life, but it didn't work. Guardians _can't_ live normal lives. It's an unspoken rule, unfortunately."

Jihl shook her head. "I guess that there's some kind of condition for this. That's probably it."

Jared shook his head. "Not so. The fact of the matter is, the worst part about being a Dimensional Guardian is not the normality. No, we get used to the Crazy and Insane bits of life. The worst part is the fact that we don't belong anywhere. We can go everywhere, but we never truly belong _anywhere_. There is no world or place that a Guardian can just be themselves, and truly call home." His eyes then glinted. "Not yet at least."

"Must be hard, never having a true home to go to." Jihl commented.

"It is, but we get used to it." Jared shrugged, before looking back at the cliff where Hope was. "Hope just woke up."

"And you know this how?"

Jared smirked. "I'm only a Shadow of the Original. The original is sniping, at the moment. He's currently next to Hope. At the moment, he's not even casting a shadow because I'm here. In essence, I _am_ his shadow. At night, I am everywhere. In Light, I am with him. Either way, I am his shadow." He looked back at her. "As his shadow, I know what he's thinking. I have all his abilities, all his knowledge, and know where he is. I react the same way he would. I'm telling you what he'd say in the same spot I'm in. This goes for emotions as well."

Jihl nodded. "How long will it take for them to get here?"

"Give or take 30 minutes. I can easily wash and dry myself, even in the wilderness. I can do the same to him, too." He sniffed a few times. "And I could give you a shower right now. You smell like you need it."

"Hey!" Jihl shouted.

"It's been... about 3 or 4 days since your last working shower." Jared stated.

Jihl then grumbled. "Not my fault the water doesn't work in the buildings."

Jared wasn't meant to hear it, but he did. As such, he got up, and walked to the buildings, before moving at crazy speeds, checking everything out: Plumbing, Electricity, everything. Even structure quality. He then had a few tools in hand, and fixed the plumbing first. Next, he fixed up the electrical wiring. He had done this so many times on his own before his journey that he knew what each piece did, and how to make it work properly, and ways to make it work in ways they normally weren't supposed to, but still did.

As he was sorting through the wiring, Hope and the real Jared landed right in front of Jihl, who was just watching the Shadow fix everything. Jared just met her eyes. "How is he doing that?"

"He's me. I lived alone for 4, almost 5 years before I started my duties as a Guardian. I lived alone. I worked alone. My house was a good 90 or so miles from the nearest building. I had to know that kind of stuff. It took a good 2 hours or so to get there by car. It took me a good 30 minutes to walk it, though. The closest store to my house, which ironically was also a Weapons Shop, was actually a General Store called Walmart. It was like a Combination of Lenora's Garage, Unicorn Mart, B&W Outfitters, and then some. You name it, it probably had it. Electronics, Food, toys, clothing, Tools, and then some. One of the few go-to stores around. I lived in a Weapons Shop, ran it, made everything firsthand, sold everything on my own, and even did custom orders. Sometimes, people would come to me with a few ideas, such as shape, function, or a basis. Often, they didn't know what it was they were asking about. They knew what it was supposed to do, and what it looked like, but they knew little to nothing about the actual intricacies of the guns they were asking about. Hope's boomerang, Nue, I built myself. I even tried to make a gunblade, but I wasn't able to finish it for some time. I didn't know any of the true mechanics until I came here, but I had gotten close after about 3 years of trying. Blaze Omega, Lightning's current gunblade, is my own creation. Having seen her old Blazefire Saber, I used that as a guideline for balance and weight ratio, along with the mechanisms. Blaze Omega is the first true Gunblade I have ever made."

"So, how long do you think it'll take for them to get here?" Hope asked.

"Hmm... Should be here tomorrow morning if they don't stop tonight. Afternoon if they do." Jared answered. "Anyway, I'll be in my Shadow Vault. Hope, you mind explaining a few things to her? That, and the others might not like her? Rose would be indifferent, but Minato I couldn't tell you."

Hope nodded. "I guessed that. I mean, I'm not sure how Sazh would react. I mean, you told them it was a stowaway, and you altered their memories before sending them out."

"Which is true, I just didn't take any of her previous memories. I gave her some new ones to think on." Jared shrugged, as his shadow came down and looked Jared in the eyes. He glowed, transferred the information to the original and dissolved becoming Jared's shadow once more. "Really, I never lied to them, I just told them a certain point of view. They didn't ask for clarification, so that was their fault."

"They're going to hate you for that, too."

Jared shrugged. "Tough shit. I tend to do things my way." The rest of the day had Jared working on random gadgets, Hope watching, while occasionally helping. Jihl Nabaat had just watched the two for a bit, but fell asleep quickly. When she woke it was almost dinner, and Jared was cooking a Thermadon, which was strange in theory. How he had managed she didn't know, and figured it was better to _not_ know.

In that day, Jared had shown off the completed form of the Armor he had been working on recently. He was now staring at it, trying to figure out a way to power the suit. _'Tying it to the Central Nervous system gave a few problems. Nobody could use it to the extent that Nizam did, though Mark came as a close second. It was surprising, because no one else could even start the thing up before him. The question is: How?'_ Jared had yet to come up with an answer in an hour.

Jihl noticed this as they ate. Hope had really gotten to know Jihl, which was surprising. He didn't think she'd be civil at all. _'Jared must've given her some pretty powerful information to get her like this.'_

"Something wrong?" She asked.

"yeah. I'm trying to figure out how someone with a completely different Nervous system could use a Neurally Enhanced Suit made for someone else? The only similarities between the two are Personality and the way they think. The two had no blood relation, which I've triple checked. There's something else I'm missing. Some unknown factor that I'm not counting into the equation..."

"Hmm... did you take their Mental states into account?" Jihl asked.

"Tried that. Didn't work." Jared admitted.

Hope took a thoughtful look. "Maybe it has something to do with a certain type of power?" Jared and Jihl looked at him. "Your son is a Guardian right?" At Jared's nod, he continued. "Maybe that's why he was able to adapt it to himself. And maybe the other one, the one you made it for, had this same type of power. Less in quantity, but still there."

Jared then did the calculations. _'Could it be? Could Nizam have been... But he didn't... and then...'_ Jared's eyes widened. _'That's it!'_ "Hope, you're a genius."

Hope and Jihl blinked. "Did you get that?" she asked.

"Uh... No."

They both looked at Jared, who was messing with the Power Core, which was not working. He had taken it out, and started fiddling with it, before it glowed in sync with his L'cie Brand, which was shining through the cloth shirt he had on. When the glowing died down, he put the Core back into the suit, and watched it power up. Each of the weapons had revealed itself, each plate of metal moved in every way possible. It then opened up, and Jared got in the armor, before willing it to close. As he did, the Heads Up Display appeared, and everything was on target.

The suit moved as Jared did, and did nothing to restrict his movements. Beneath the helmet, he smirked. He could feel the wind coming from the open window, even through the suit, which was a godsend for it. He didn't think that would've happened. The Helmet was the only thing that wasn't skin tight now. He tried to will it away, and all but the helmet left. The Helmet opened up, and Jared took it off, before looking at the other two. "That... was awesome."

"Care to explain?" Jihl asked. She had mellowed out after the Palamecia, and even more after today.

"The suit is like a second skin. Wasn't even intending to do that. I felt the wind from the window as if it was touching my skin." Jared smiled slightly. "It didn't stop me from hitting the wind, but I'll have to see if it does any good for my actual body."

"Well, you can work that out tomorrow. As of right now, I doubt it'll do you any good working on practicing it. We don't know how far the others have gone with their brands, and with what you say about them, it's only a matter of time. They need to complete their focus if they don't want to become Ci'eth." Jihl stated.

Jared shook his head. "I'll wait until this whole mess is over with. I still have a lot to teach Hope, but in order to understand it, he has to know what it feels like. Giving him some hands on experience will help." He then looked at the silver haired Teen. "If I were you, I'd take all of your classes in school seriously after this. I won't be teaching you what the school does, but rather, how to apply the lessons in school to reality."

"If I were younger, I'd say that nothing we learn in school is useful in life. I mean, back then, math seems pretty useless at first glance." Hope admitted. "But with these abilities, especially the Mechanical Summon, it really _does _have a use."

"Physics, Chemistry, Math, they all have a base in one ability you have." Jared added. "History is also helpful, as you can figure out how people think. Learning how one thinks, you can predict what they're going to do before they do it. It's not the events themselves that give the useful information. It's the leaders of armies, the leaders of countries, the way things happen, what's behind it, all of it comes from a mind and mental process. Figuring out how one thinks, you can make a category for that mindset. After a few seconds in a fight with someone, you can find out which Mindset they follow. It's in how they talk, how they walk, what they do, and even how they do it. Following that mindset, you can easily figure out what they'll do before they do it."

"And then come up with a counter before they make their first move." Jihl nodded, seeing the point. "Staying one step ahead of your opponent isn't a plan."

"Three steps ahead of your opponent: Now that's a plan." Jared finished for her. "Knowing how they think, then you'll be able to stay 3 steps ahead of them, or even up to 500 steps ahead."

"Can _anyone_ be 500 steps ahead of their opponent?" Jihl asked, now confused. "To my knowledge, it hasn't been done before."

Jared shrugged. "It's possible, and I've come close. I was about 477 steps ahead of Melbu and had the next 16 steps planned, and each plan ended up with him dying. The Best Strategists can think of at least 300 moves before the first is made, even if they find they can't finish all of the moves before they run out of stamina, or energy, they still have enough in their tactics to immobilize their opponent before they do."

"And looking into the past can do that?"

"If you know what to look for, anything can be used in real life." Jared shrugged. "Most of my tactics are from reading about History, not yours, random games, and watching everyone around me while I was in school. By the time I had graduated from _my_ high school, I had more knowledge than most 50 year olds. Still..." He looked out the window, now leaning on the windowsill. "I never had any real friends. Not since I was 10, at least." He sighed, and lowered his head slightly. "Not after _she_ died."

"Personal problem?" Jihl questioned.

"Very."

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Hope pointed out. "But I will ask this: What was she like, and how did she die?"

Jared shook his head. "Take my personality, put it into a female body, and give her a random assortment of Silver Clothing. That's her in a nutshell." He clenched his fist on the windowsill, taking care not to break anything. "And if you must know, she died, because I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on the gun in my hand."

Hope's eyes widened. _'He couldn't save one person and he blames himself?'_

Jihl, on the other hand, was actually a little depressed. _'He's had it rough. He had the means to protect a friend, but he didn't do it. Is it because he was scared? Or maybe... was he frozen in shock?'_

"Shock, Fear or Surprise?" she asked, before she and Hope saw a tear hit the windowsill.

"Guilt..." Was Jared's garbled response. His voice sounded like he had been crying silent tears. "It wouldn't have been the first... and I didn't want her to see it... she didn't but... I never saw her again." He then slammed his right fist through the windowsill, not caring about it. "If I had just pulled the trigger she'd still be alive, 90 others wouldn't have died due to the ensuing thunder storm and C-4 Tornado, and I wouldn't have lost whatever innocence I had left until Paku came along!"

Hope and Jihl were actually shocked, and it showed on their faces. They looked at each other, and then back at Jared. "I have to keep going." Another tear trailed down his face, the second one that day. "I can't let anyone else befall the same fate." A third tear, while the second dropped from his chin. "If I don't then it's meaningless!" he turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

The two just watched. "Never thought I'd say the day." Hope commented.

"Seems it finally caught up to him." Jihl sighed. "That much guilt weighing him down. I actually doing that once before, myself. Hesitation leads to death, but not always your own. Sometimes... It's someone else that pays the price for your hesitation." She shook her head. "He learned that lesson the hard way."

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!

However, time for a bit of an Omake!

**Minato's fun**

Minato was in a small village with a woman with Red flowing Hair, a fierce look in her eyes, and Konohagakure Jounin Garb. Minato was in the same clothing. There was also a third one, who looked tired, with black spiky hair.

Minato then hid his grin. The three of them had just finished a mission, and were on their way back, so Minato looked at Shikaku, the tired one. "Shikaku, could you come here for a minute?" He placed a small technique from his past on Shikaku, which didn't do much else, and Shikaku had yet to notice.

"Troublesome. What is OW!" Shikaku grabbed his nose, Minato's fist outstretched.

"Troublesome Wanker..."

**SMACK!**

"You did it again." Shikaku complained.

**SMACK!**

"Piss!" Shikaku then tried to remember something but found no answer.

**SMACK!**

"Kushina!" Shikaku nearly shouted.

"Mina-kun..." The read head cooed, before she caught the glimpse of a smile on his face. _'Wait a minute...'_ Then she saw his eyes. _'Alright, let's do something else.'_

"Well, Mina-kun, you want to hit on him all day, or would rather go upstairs and pound me into next week?" She asked.

Minato punched Shikaku in the face again, thus knocking him out. "Kushi-chan... **Are you a Dimensional Guardian?"** He finished off in Guardian Tongue.

Kushina's eyes widened. **"How did you know?"**

"**2 weeks ago, I had time off, and no one had seen me during that time. Remember that?"**

Kushina nodded. **"While I was there, I found you sent a Data Analyzer to someone in the area. Saw the message you gave him, and everything. Psycho gives a new meaning to the word Psychotic, doesn't she?"**

"**You met her?"**

"**Twice. Since you're a Shadowwind, I should tell you I'm a Thunderstorm. Lightning then Wind."**

"**Wind then Darkness."** Kushina stated.

"**Found out quite a bit, and gave him _my_ knowledge of the area, along with the upcoming war. If he comes, he'll be helping Konohagakure... at least in the field. Got that out of him, at least."**

"**Well, maybe he'll be able to stick around. At least now I don't have to hide my Guardian Status from you now. I wasn't sure before, so that's why I never said anything."**

"**You wouldn't have. This place is actually my Seventh Realm. It's why I'm effectively the last of my Clan, even though I'm not."** Minato admitted. **"He also said he'd come by here when he was done with a promise. I hope he gets here soon."**

00000x00000

Okay, that was longer than I expected. Note that this doesn't even happen, and probably won't for a while.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	12. Back from the dead!

…

**Chapter 12**

After storming out of the house, Jared had gone down to the docks, his eyes showing a myriad of emotions.

Anger at himself for bringing it up.

Guilt for not doing anything when he could.

Sadness for what he did afterwards.

Jared just sat down, his feet hanging over the edge, right next to the water. _'Nicole... Why did I bring it up? It doesn't make any sense!'_ Tears were flowing down his cheeks, but only one hit the water. When it did, he ignored the louder than usual 'Drip' noise.

What had his attention was the glowing light behind him, which caused him to draw Cerberus, ready to fire at whatever it was. What he saw, however, made him falter, before his face hardened. "If this is a joke, it's _not_ funny." On his face was a scowl. Why was he having such a reaction?

Because the one that came out of the glow, he knew. And he also knew that said person was _dead_.

In front of him, stood a female with dirty blonde hair, dark brown eyes, wearing a dark brown T-shirt and a green knee-length skirt. She stood at 4' 11", and looked about 12 years old. Her skin was a dark brown.

She looked at him in sadness. _"I'm sorry, Jared."_

"Who are you?" Jared's voice held malice, which had never been heard before. Hope was walking towards the docks, but heard this, and ended up hiding behind a crate, watching and listening. He saw the glowing figure, and was wondering why Jared was pointing Cerberus at her head. "_Answer me!_"

"_You know who I am, Jared."_ The girl sent a sad look at him. _"I don't even know where I am right now, but I do know this. One of my only friends is holding a gun, and acting like he's going to shoot me."_

"Nicole died all those years ago. You are _not_ her." Jared's voice held contempt.

The girl just shook her head. _"I know, I'm supposed to be dead. I remember the guy with a knife. Do you not remember? The one that you knocked out by hitting his neck with your foot?"_

Jared stilled. "No... I never told anyone about that..." His eyes softened a bit, before turning hard again. "How?"

"_Well, I don't remember much, but, there was the gun, a gunshot, a scream, then... nothing. I saw nothing for some time, I don't know how long. Then this woman comes into view. She said that she needed my help. Something about putting someone on the right path, and a Champion. I wasn't really paying attention. Next thing I know, I'm standing here, looking at you."_ The girl shrugged. _"Honestly, I don't know what happened, but she seemed to think I could help her with whatever it was, but I'm dead. I didn't see how I could help."_

Jared sighed, and lowered his arm. "Nicole... Do you remember what I told you that I never told anyone?"

"_About that dream of you launching a giant blue ball at some Fox?"_ She asked. _"Yes, I remember it. It's something I'd never forget. It scared us both, but you told me something that you didn't even tell your parents."_

"What about when I was 9?"

"_You mean when you pulled that knife when you knew you didn't have one on you, and we weren't anywhere near one?"_ The girl asked.

Jared's look lost all of its intensity, and he chuckled.

Hope was watching this with a critical eye, but otherwise stayed silent.

Jared shook his head. "Nicole... I can't believe it's really you." He hugged her, though she was now over a foot smaller than he was, at 6' 3" tall. "Do you know who that woman was?"

"_I think she called herself Soa, but I don't know. Like I said, I wasn't paying much attention."_

"Soa... I don't see why she sent you here, but I'm grateful." Jared gestured to the edge, and sat down. "We should talk."

"_Sure."_ She walked over, and sat down next to him, as they stared out over the lake. _"What do you want to talk about?"_

"When you... went out." Jared was hesitant to say it, but he had to. "I'm sorry. I could've done something. I knew I had to. I _knew_ what he was going to do. But with all that knowledge... I froze up. Because of that, you died, and then he died from five M4A1 shots to the head, before I brought down a large tornado, killing 90 others, before I calmed down. If I just used the Desert Eagle 357 Handgun in my hand, none of that would have happened. You would be alive, 90 others wouldn't have died, 3 buildings wouldn't have collapsed, and..." He was cut off in his rambling, when he felt someone smack the back of his head.

It was Nicole. _"Jared, I don't blame you for that. I thought about it, and I could never blame you. You were ten, and even if you had killed someone before, then I wouldn't have blamed you for hesitating. I mean, you were young. You knew a lot, sure, but you were still young. I can't find it in me to blame you for what you did."_

"And all those other people?"

"_Them? I could've cared less about some of them. They were ignorant Bigots, mostly. I'm actually happy some of them died, but the rest I didn't know anything about, so I couldn't tell you my opinion on their deaths."_

"Nicole... I don't like what I did. I never did." Jared told her, rubbing where she smacked him.

"_I know you don't. It's not in you to truly hate someone for long. You don't hold grudges for long. You'll never forget what they did, nor would you forget their name, but you won't hold the grudge for long. You'd blame yourself for whatever happened."_

Jared looked away slightly. "Yeah... That's it." His voice was soft and mostly quiet.

She still heard him, though. _"Jared, I don't blame you. I never did. Even when I tried to force myself to blame you, I couldn't. So cheer up! You're being a downer."_

Jared shook his head, but didn't even look at her. Instead, he laid back, his feet still hanging over the edge at his knees. "Nicole, what did you think of my father?"

"_Dunno. Never met him."_ She replied, following his lead.

"You know what I mean."

"_And you know what _I _mean. That man was _not_ your father. You may have put up with him, he may have provided for you while growing up, but he wasn't your father. You remember Micheal?"_

"Yeah, what about him?"

"_He was adopted by his foster parents when he was still an infant. He didn't believe me when I told him that."_

"That's what he meant when he said you were right?" Jared asked, mainly for clarification.

"_That was it, alright. Apparently, they came clean, but he was even closer to them afterwards."_ Nicole stated. _"I had this way of knowing what a person's blood relation is. Why, I didn't know, and I still don't. The one you called father back then... the father of your brothers, he wasn't your father. I know he wasn't."_

"I figured that out when I was 16." Jared admitted. "I never really liked him, and I was always cut off from even my family after... you know. I didn't make any other friends, and I couldn't even look _your_ friends in the eyes after that. Knowing that I was at fault, I couldn't even look at them, much less talk to them."

"_Jared, you have to stop blaming yourself for things that you had no control over."_

"That's just it, I could have done something!"

"_And then what? If you killed him before he could get me, yes, he'd be dead, but then what? Anyone else in the area, would've known. You know that. No matter what happened, you would've ended up with blood on your hands. You're not at fault for my death. That guy was. What you did, was pulled the trigger too late. One mistake shouldn't dictate your life, Jared. You didn't do that before, and you _know_ I wouldn't either. So why are you letting it do so now?"_

Jared sighed, now far more relaxed. "The Jared you know was buried after that day. I couldn't see anything of it until I was 25, and I found Paku."

"_Paku?"_

"I didn't tell you what happened since I started this crazy trip, did I?"

"_No, you didn't."_

So Jared went into his tale. What happened as he was walking back to his house, Queen Theresa, Rose, Samantha, Dart, Mark and Eris. He told her about the abilities he had gained, other people he had met, and people he had to stop. He then told her about him being a Dimensional Guardian, and what it meant for him. Then he went into his adventures in Cocoon, and what he had to go through. He also told her about the Crimson Blackmoulds. She shivered at the mention of them.

"Scary, I know. But my hatred of Spiders is stronger than ever." Jared admitted.

"_Jared, if I didn't know any better, I'd say someone's out to fuck over your life."_

"You're not the first to say that, and I _know_ you won't be the last." Jared admitted. "and now, I can tell you what I've found out about my father. My _real_ one."

"_You already found out about him?"_

"Oh yeah. He's the reason my life got fucked over when I was only a week old." Jared stated. "You see, my father, I still don't know his name, had helped give birth to me, but he was not really in a good condition for some reason. He saved himself by sealing his soul and abilities inside of my own, and suppressed himself. I still can't find it inside of me, so I figure that there's a a requirement of some sort. I know he used Shadowwind as a Surname. And I also know that he's the Son of Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy. I also think that I'm somehow related to Hephaestus The Greek God of Blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans..." He noticed her confusion. "You know what? I'll put it in simpler terms. Hephaestus was a God of 'Anything that has to do with making things', Fire and Volcanoes. That would also explain my immunity to Lava, if I were."

"_Wow. You've got quite the family."_

"Yeah, and I've yet to meet a good person in the family." Jared admitted. "I had to make my own to find some kind of happiness. My Pack is what I will protect."

"_Back into that Wolf Mind, I see."_

"Nicole, I never left that mindset." Jared retorted. "It's one of the few things I never let go of. If I found someone I could trust with my life, I'd do everything in my power to make sure they were happy, even if it cost me my own happiness. I'd grin and bear it, as long as they were happy. It's what got me into Sailor Moon, after all. I did that for you."

"_You didn't like it, did you?"_

"At first, no." Jared admitted. "I learned to like it later on, though. It's a pretty good series if you know what to look for. Still, my all time favorite is Naruto."

"_Never heard of it."_

"I'd be surprised if you did."

"_Care to share, then?"_

Jared sent a smirk her way. "And why would I do that?"

"_Oh come on!"_ She had a look on her face.

The Dreaded Puppy Eyes.

Hope could feel it from 15 yards away, and shivered.

"Nicole... I'm immune to the Look. It won't work." Jared said, his voice still teasing her. They met eyes, and Jared didn't falter in his answer one bit.

That is, until he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. _'Say what you will about "The Look", but...'_ "Fine..." _'I can't stand to see a girl I care about cry.'_

Her face brightened up instantly. Jared mentally shook his head. "An Orphan has to go through life, with a powerful burden, that he later turns into a blessing. Trial after trial, pain after pain, and he holds strong. He doesn't find out who his father is until he's 16, and finds out about his mother, and the truth of his birth, a few months later. Not to mention, his luck was absurd. It's bigger than my own, and you know how lucky _I_ am."

"_Wow. That much?"_

"Yeah." His face scrunched up as he said this, only to return to normal afterwards. He then blinked. "Damn, I thought I finally grew out of that face."

"_Why would you? It's cute."_ She asked.

"Nicole, I'm 59 years old. I am most certainly _not_ cute." Jared protested.

She giggled. It sounded heavenly, even to Hope's ears. _"Doesn't matter. It still looks cute on your face."_

"Now, that giggle is cute. A face I got from my mother? Not so much."

"_So, what about Claire?"_ Nicole asked.

"What about her?"

"_You going to do to her what you did to Samantha?"_

"Nicole, if I did that, I wouldn't stop until she was broken. At the moment, I'd have to find a way to tie myself down, or find someone with enough stamina and sexual frustration to _not_ break under everything I would be doing. And I've only met one."

"_And if Rose is here?"_

"Still wouldn't have time. We don't know how long she has."

"_You can control time, right?"_

"To a point, yeah. Why?"

"_Then why not just speed up time in a certain room, silence said room, and fuck Rose like a rabbit in heat?"_ Ladies and Gentlemen, let it be known that Nicole is already aware of what Sex is at 12 years old.

Jared blinked. "You're kidding me."

"_You mean, you didn't think of that?"_

Jared shook his head in amusement. "Not once." He chuckled. "I can speed time up for people, turn back time in a set area, and yet I never thought to make a set area and speed up time so much, that I could go at it for _weeks _and not have to worry about time."

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, and he can be taught."_ Nicole commented.

Hope had to stifle his chuckle at that.

Jared had no qualms doing so. "Yes, even an old geezer like me can be taught."

They went back to gazing at the night sky, Jared much more relaxed. After a few moments of silence, Jared spoke up again. "Nicole?"

"_Yes?"_

"Thanks."

"_For what?"_ She turned her head to him.

"For bringing me to my senses." Jared said. "I was lost, and still blamed myself for what happened to you. Now... I just can't seem to care about it much anymore."

"_You don't care that I died?"_ she asked in mock horror.

"Not that!" Jared replied. "It's that I don't feel the guilt over it, anymore."

"_Care to explain?"_ She asked.

"It's like going from carrying the world on my shoulders to Pike's Peak."

"_Who else did you feel like you let down?"_

Jared shook his head, looking at the sky again. "No one. That's just my duty doing that. I've got some heavy lifting, but with your forgiveness for that, I don't have to worry anywhere near as much."

"_Jared, you never needed my forgiveness. There was nothing to forgive. I told you that already."_

"Yeah, you did." Jared admitted. "But I needed to hear it before I could even think about that."

"_Jared, I'm a female version of you. If there's something that I couldn't forgive, you would know it by putting yourself in my place. So ask yourself this: If you were held at gunpoint, I had a gun, but couldn't seem to pull the trigger out of my own fear, would you blame me for your death?"_

Jared opened his mouth, but then closed it and actually _thought_ about it. "Point taken." He said after 2 minutes of thinking.

"_And?"_

"I would forgive you instantly. No matter how much I would want to, I wouldn't be able to blame you for my death."

"_Exactly. And... well, come to think of it, I'd probably do the same thing you did."_ She mused. _"Oh well. What's done is done."_

"No use crying over spilled milk, I suppose."

"_You wanna know what's sad?"_

"What?"

"_The fact that my own father died in the Tornado, and I saw what happened when he died."_ Nicole admitted.

"Wait, I killed your father?"

"_Correction: You killed the man-whore my mother called husband."_

"Wait, what?"

"_When he died, he was seconds away from blowing himself inside of a hooker. And I just laughed when I found out."_

Jared blinked a few times, and then chuckled a bit. "You know, I think he went out disappointed that he couldn't let loose before dying."

"_Tell me about it."_ They were both chuckling, before it turned into another silence.

"Nicole?"

"_Something else on your mind?"_

"I was wondering... If I could find a way to revive you..."

"_Don't."_ She cut him off.

"What? Why?"

"_You said it yourself, Jared. You have to protect the Balance of Nature. If you brought me back to life, then you'd be breaking it."_

"But Nicole..."

"_No buts. Besides, I kind of liked that Dark Realm. It was quiet... and Dark. You know I like being in Dark areas."_

"Same with me." Jared replied. "But still..."

"_Jared, I want you to promise me."_

"Nicole..."

"_I don't want to come back to life. My time already came. If you need a good kick in the butt to get moving, I'm not against coming to you to do just that, but I'd be going back right afterwards."_ She pointed out. _"Promise me that you won't being me back to life, even if you found a safe and perfect way to do so."_

"Nicole, I..."

"_Promise me, Jared. Besides, I found out that I can watch just about anything. I can watch over your children for you. You know they'd have someone you trust watching over them at all times. I can't do that while I'm alive. Please..."_

"Alright... I won't bring you back to life... Unless you ask me to later on. We both know that you tend to change your mind quickly."

"_Hmm... Alright, deal. If I ask, then look for one. If not, then don't worry about it."_

The two nodded and settled for gazing at the sky in silence. _"Jared?"_

"Yeah?"

"_You do know we were being watched the entire time, right?"_

Hope tensed. _'She knew?'_

"I figured it out when I lowered Cerberus." Jared admitted.

_'He knew too!'_ Hope was officially scared.

"_Aren't you worried he'd tell someone?"_

"He knows what I can do, and what I _will_ do, if he does." Jared tilted his head over towards Hope's hiding spot. "Isn't that right, _Hope_?"

At first, he was guessing at where he was, but the nod in the shadows, which he _did_ see, cinched it. "God I love my eyesight." Jared said. "Seriously, my training with guns improved my eyesight so much I could run at high speeds with relative ease, and not have to worry about tunnel vision. That same training helped my eye for detail, and still helps me see up to a few miles away without help. I get a longer sight range normally than I do with Binoculars."

"_That's just sad."_ Nicole admitted.

"Tell me about it."

"_How was school?"_

"Boring, but I still remember a lot of it. I mainly stayed to myself. A's in Classes that I tried in, B's or C's in those that I didn't care much for. After I graduated at 17, it only took me 10 days to figure out what I was going to do with my life, and I went to work doing it. I did pretty good for a new guy. I made guns from scratch in the Rocky Mountains. Had my own Forge and everything."

"_How did you get plumbing done?"_

"Heh. When I flushed the toilet, it went into the Forge. Feces, Piss, and TP all had a pretty good effect on the forge."

"_Electricity?"_

"Came from the Forge."

"_Food?"_

"32 Minute walk, 3 hour drive to the nearest store."

"_Why so far out?"_

"Nicole, I was essentially an Isolationist. Not because I didn't like being around other people, but because I was afraid of hurting them. The distance was helpful, mostly. Besides, when I didn't feel like buying food, I went out and hunted some game. Skinning, gutting, cleaning, the works. I had been doing that since I was 14, so I was good. I even used the bones for some good materials in my works. I had worked as much as I could, to get things right. It didn't take me long. I made guns from scratch, and I was pretty damn good. It was slow at first, so I was glad I still had my Pokemon Soul Silver. However, word eventually spread to a retired veteran soldier. He told me he was recommended to my shop for a Hunting Rifle. After he tested it out, he was surprised at how stable it was. He looked at it, and was worried about stability, but after the test, he was wondering how I managed to stabilize it. So I told him. He was impressed, and bought it. That was the turning point, and then I had some custom orders come in. I was happy to do them, and business was rolling in. I rarely had time for myself after that. I was just too busy, but I didn't really care. I was oddly at peace making the guns. Gathering the Materials, forging the metals, putting the items together, everything was done by hand."

"_Sounds like you had quite the success there."_

"Sure did." Jared replied. "I even got a few offers to join a larger company. Would you believe one of the biggest Gun-making brands in the history of the US asked me to join them?"

"_You didn't take their offer, did you?"_

"No I did not." Jared admitted freely. "Smith and Wesson was already on an automated system. I did things by hand. That one building was my home. My sanctuary. Making it all by hand, and I did give them a demonstration of me making a simple gun from one of their schematics, they were impressed at the level of Detail I got out of it on the first try. And then I told them outright that I wouldn't trade my business up for the world."

"_They didn't like that, did they?"_

"Not one bit." He chuckled as he remembered when it happened. Hope had left earlier, and brought Jihl down to the area. This time, he didn't bother to hide. Jihl was confused at the girl at first, but figured she was either an ally, or just not a threat.

And at this point, the four of them were laying down in a pinwheel formation on the dock.

-Flashback-

_Jared had just finished a new weapon, that the Representative from S&W asked him to show his skill in making. It had taken 2 hours, but he had done it, and showed it. "Here it is. Perfectly functional, and ready to fire."_

"_Remarkable craftsmanship."_ _The man stated. "Although, I'm wondering where any of your good equipment is. I mean, this old fashioned forge can't possibly have made something of this quality. It's just not possible."_

_Jared shrugged. "I like making things. Always have. I made that thing by hand, in two hours. I already had all the materials, so I just had to work on it." He gestured to all the guns in the room. "Everything in this room, I made by hand. The cases, the wares, everything. The place was built by professionals, but the rest was either brought up, or made by me."_

"_We're willing to pay you $200,000 for the shop, and $20.50 an hour if you come to work for us."_

_Jared shook his head. "No deal. I'm not trading this place, or my business."_

"_$250,000?"_

_Jared shook his head. "No amount of money can get me to sell this place. It's my home. I have no close familial ties, so you can't convince them. I have no friends, so that's out. I'm not strapped for cash, so that's out. This place is quiet, Natural, and best of all, away from others. I have no interest in spreading my business, advertising, or merging with another business. Even one as big as Smith-Wesson. I do my own thing. I always did."_

"_There is nothing that you want? Nothing at all?"_

_Jared shook his head. "There nothing that you can give that I would want."_

"_So there IS something you want." The man now had some hope._

"_The only thing I want, is a friend of mine brought back from the dead, and I know you can't pull that off." Jared looked at the door. "Since that was only a demonstration of my skills, I only ask that you pay 50% of the usual price for something like that. Which would be... $88.72."_

"_These would sell for much higher than that, even at 50% off."_

"_Thing is, the things I'm charging for are Labor, the Time it took to make it, and about 20-45% of the Full Market Price of the Materials used. I keep up to date on the actual market price of the materials I use, so I can adjust the prices as necessary."_

_The man managed a sigh. "I'll give you a fair warning. This talk isn't over. Sooner or later, you're going to sell this place."_

_Jared shrugged. "That's your opinion. I do what I love, and love what I do. I do this my way, because it relaxes me. It keeps my attention, and there's so many ways I can go down on this path, that I never get bored, or tired of it. I'll turn you down every time. This is more than just a shop to me. This is my home. Until you realize the worth of an actual home where you don't have to hide yourself, a place you can feel at peace, a place you don't have to worry about other's opinions of you, you'll never truly understand why I'm turning you down. To me, this shop is all that and more. Nothing you can do will get me to sell it, or join with a Corporation that doesn't care about anything other than money. Understand my reasons. Accept them. I don't expect you to agree, but if you don't bother to understand, and accept my reasons for turning you down, you'll never come close to getting this place off of me."_

_The man huffed, and walked out after paying for the Handgun he asked to be made._

_Jared sighed. "Until they understand that I'd rather be left alone, they'll never understand. Right Gandora?" There was a quiet growl in the area, causing Jared to chuckle. "Tell me about it."_

_-_Flashback end-

Jihl was impressed. "A big name company, eh? You'd probably be good for a Military Weapon Supplier."

"Sorry, Jihl, but that's a no go. I can't provide for an army. I didn't do it for the money. I did it because I was good at it. I did it because it was fun. I did it because it was relaxing. They came back two other times, and both times I declined. I would rather be left alone. I sold my works to make space. I did what I did, because I wanted it that way. I gathered the materials, made things, took custom orders, and made pretty much anything that was asked of me. I made a few swords, but not that many. I went missing, and I managed to ask my family to burn down the building. If I wasn't going to have it, I wasn't letting anyone else find out about it. Since it was also my house, my family is probably suing Smith-Wesson for my supposed death. I had been missing since then, and there was no trace of a body."

"_Deceptive to the end, I suppose."_ Nicole commented.

Hope then spoke. "But why would they try to sue the company that tried to get you to join them?"

"Because, Hope, they tried three times to get me to join them, and I refused. It's a common tactic to eliminate competition, and, even though I wanted to stay local, they were afraid of me because my works were better than theirs. If they couldn't convince me to join them, they'd take me out of the running by force. If that meant burning the place to the ground... well, you see where I'm going with this, right?"

"_Yeah."_

"No surprise, I guess." Jihl added.

"Same here." Hope commented.

"So, if they sued the company for my death, they could get quite a bit. Since I've been gone for so long, and I'm not even on the planet, they won't find any trace of a body. My Fire-proof Safe is missing, and it held all of my excess money, materials, and... well, pretty much anything of true value was in there. Further evidence against them." Jared smirked. "Yeah, the moment they figure it out, they'll probably go for it."

"_Something tells me your stepfather will be doing the honors."_ Nicole suggested.

"Nicole, the two of us don't get along _at all_. Why would he bother?"

"_I dunno, but you know that my gut is always right when it comes to family."_

"Sad but true fact is, I can't find a suitable argument there." Jared admitted.

"Wait, you can't find a flaw in that?" Hope asked.

"No, Hope, I can't." Jared answered. "He may have been there all my life, but she knew that he wasn't my father. She figured it out before I did, at that."

"Jared, I was wondering about that Suit of Armor you said you finished." Jihl admitted.

"Finished? Heaven's no, it's nowhere _close_ to being finished." Jared stated.

"Didn't you say..."

"I know what I said, Hope. It's base form is complete, and it's functional, but the final product is nowhere _close_ to what it is. There's a lot I have to add, and a _lot_ to improve on. True, it's usable, but it's not finished. Probably won't be for a while now, either." Jared cut him off.

"_What do you plan for it?"_

"You remember the Metroid games, right?"

"_Of course. Super Metroid may have been a bit of a pain, but it was fun nonetheless. Why?"_ Nicole asked.

"Nicole, I was planning on adding a few points from those games into the suit. Same with other points. I already added some points from that 80's Anime Guyver. The Trans-dimensional Storage bit, but there's still a few other points, and I'd have to see them in action, or get the blueprints for them to add them in. There's more to that, as well. It needs to be adaptable, and at the moment, it isn't. Plus, I can move faster without it, than with it. Until its speed can match my own, there's no reason to use it. As it stands, it's usable, but not recommended. Besides, that's only the MK-III. A friend I gained while in Endiness had the Mark-I, he upgraded it to the MK-II, and gave the MK-II to my son Mark. MK-III is not the final stage. Far from it, in fact. But I'll need far more information than I have in order to make it plausible. The finished version will probably be higher than 10, to be honest. It definitely looks that way."

"_Wow. That's crazy."_

"Just another day, in the life of a Guardian." Jared admitted.

"Don't tell me you consider that _normal_." Jihl was now worried.

"Jihl, with what I've been through, what I've seen, what I've _done_, this is just flat out tame." Jared retorted. "You'd sooner find Barthandelus in a pink leotard, fluffy tutu, dancing the Macarena then seeing me think along Normal terms, or completely conform."

Despite not being alive, Nicole felt a shiver travel down her spine. _"Jared... I would rather you _not_ put an image like that in my head. What you thought to do to Mappy in Endiness was one thing. But that? Nu uh. No way."_

Jared's face produced a smirk. "Oh? And what about my Grandmother doing the exact same thing at 95 years old?"

Despite her glowing form, Nicole paled. Jared just laughed at her reaction. It wasn't an insane laughter, nor did it hold any malice. No, it was a lighthearted laughter filled with pure joy. "You're too easy to tease, Nicole! Seriously, that's the second worst image I've ever seen... And yes, I saw it."

"I may be out of the loop, but I'm pretty sure nothing tops a wrinkled old woman in that outfit." Jihl pointed out.

Jared glowed, closely by Hope and Jihl. When the glows died, the two were nearly pale. "Hope... The second one is what I used to wake Snow up back in the Ark. The first one is my grandmother dancing the Macarena in a String Bikini. Tell me. Which is worse?" Jared asked.

"So... Much... hugging..." Hope was nearly catatonic.

Jihl was more composed, but inwardly her mind was a mess.

"_Was that your Memory Transfer Technique?"_ Nicole asked.

"Yeah, it is." Jared replied.

"_Oh. What's with Hope, though?"_

"My guess?" Jared started. "He's been traumatized by Gai and Lee. Those eyebrow are like CATERPILLARS, for corn's sake! The Bruce Lee Haircut... That's not that bad, actually. Green, Skin-tight, Spandex Bodysuits, Orange leg warmers hiding about 1,000 pounds of weight under each one, Bruce Lee hairstyle... Or a Coconut Head hairstyle, Big bushy eyebrows that look like Caterpillars... gleaming teeth... Hugging with an illusionary Sunset behind them, a Beach under their feet shouting about the Flames of Youth. And the illusion cannot be broken."

"_Okay, you got me there. I highly doubt anything could compare to that level of insanity."_

"Cold, Emotionless bastard of an older brother who managed to kill his entire extended family in one night, over 200 deaths, aside from his younger brother with a pocky addiction, became a small, white and blue creature that seemed far more innocent, and naïve than even an JERK, that wants to do nothing but play all day, and eat his weight in Cream puffs." Jared suggested.

After a moment of silence, since Hope was brought out of his previous state while listening. "Okay, how the _fuck_ does that happen?" Hope asked, not caring who was listening.

"Random idea that came to mind." Jared admitted.

"_I think they're on the same level, really."_

Jihl nodded her agreement.

Jared vanished, and was now sitting on a higher level, looking down at the three of them. Suddenly, a Sun appeared behind him, the sky glowing orange, before a wave of water crashed behind him. "Besides, I've already recreated the Sunset Genjutsu. Simple Combination of Wind and Shadow manipulation.

_'Cause it's a YOUTH-_

_FUL DAY TO BE ALIVE!_

_I know the sun's still shining_

_when I close my eyes_

_and it's a_

_hard time in the neighborhood_

_So why can't every day_

_be just this good_

_It's been fifteen years_

_since I left home_

_and said "good luck"_

_to every seed I've sown._

_Gave it my best_

_and then I left it alone_

Jared was now strumming an Acoustic Guitar, his eyes closed as he played a classic Travis Tritt song he knew.

_Now I look in the mirror_

_and what do I see?_

_A lone wolf there_

_staring back at me_

_Long in the tooth_

_but harmless as can be_

_Lord I guess he's doing alright_

_And it's a Great_

_day to be alive_

_I know the sun's still shining_

_as I close my eyes_

_and there's some_

_hard times in the neighborhood_

_So why can't everyday_

_be just this good_

_Sometimes its lonely_

_sometimes its only me_

_and the shadows that filled this room_

_Sometimes I'm falling_

_desperately calling_

_howling at the moon_

_Ahoooo_

_Ahoooo_

_Hey yea_

_Well I might go get me_

_a new tattoo._

_Or take my old Harley_

_for a three day cruise_

_Might even grow me_

_a fu-man-chu_

_Oh_

_Ahh!_

_And it's a great day_

_to be alive_

_I know the sun's still shining_

_when I close my eyes_

_And there's some_

_hard times in the neighborhood_

_So why can't every day_

_be just this good?_

_It's a great day_

_to be alive_

_I know the sun's still shining_

_when I close my eyes_

_There's some hard times_

_in the neighborhood_

_but why can't every day_

_be just this good?_

_Ahooooo!_

_Oo Yeah Yeah_

Jared continued to strum the guitar in the good song. Hope and Jihl had seen what he was capable of, and were wide eyed at the display. Sitting in front of them was a man that could tear Mountain Ranges asunder, and level a Large Town in less than 2 seconds.

And he just sang while strumming a guitar.

Nicole wasn't exactly surprised. Even when he was younger he had a near obsession with Music and guns. Odd combination, but he made it work. _"I see you still went for both, even without me there to back you up."_

"Of course." Jared looked at Nicole with a small smile. "With the Insanity I had to go through, Music kept me grounded. I picked songs apart. Isolated the instruments used, and learned to play the songs, _before_ I took a look at the Sheet music. I saw which ones met where. My job as a Gunsmith was good, making the guns by hand was therapeutic, yes. But music is where I could truly feel at peace. Out of all weapons, I prefer Light Blades, but I'm not opposed to using other types of weapons. Being a gunsmith was a major boon for me as a Guardian."

"It's how you understand everything for the Mechanical Summon Ability, isn't it?" Hope asked.

Jared nodded. "Quite right, Hope. That's _exactly_ why I can use the ability with such ease. If I'm gonna build something, I've gotta know what it is I'm building, how it's going to work, what it'll do, everything. I made the guns. I tested them. I cleaned them. I know every facet of everything I've ever created. Besides, when using Older version of forging, you can add Magic into the mix to add in enchantments. It's the reason most of my armor sets have Reflective properties for Magic. It has nothing to do with me being able to deflect a Pair of Ruinga in half a second with my bare hand. It's all the armor. Using a basic Wingly Spell, I was able to put a Reflective Property on the armors I make. Adding in a Physically Defensive Barrier Spell increases the Durability. It has to be done as the metals are being smelt down, and even then, it has to be made into a weapon within 48 hours, or the property will dissipate. I managed Enfire and Enthunder on Blaze Omega, and made them natural properties of said Gunblade. It was tough, but I managed. I had to force Synergist active in order to pull it off."

"Really, you did that?"

"Of course I did. I wouldn't have been able to make the damn thing. It's how I stabilized the electrons. Enfire was used alongside a weaker version of Barfire, which, according to the Crystarium, I picked up while at Lake Bresha. A physical strike with Blaze Omega has the effect of both Sparkstrike and Flamestrike. Firing a shot acts similar to an EMP blast, even more so when an Actual Sparkstrike is used. That's why Enwater and Aquastrike are so powerful with Blaze Omega. The natural Enthunder is enhancing it. If I used Weasel Strike with Blaze Omega, the wind in the strike would increase the intensity of the heat regarding the blade, while the Lightning would add a bit more of a jolt that usual. It's why I call her Blaze Omega. It has both Lightning and Fire imbued so far into its core, it'll naturally give off both elements in small quantities, enough to give it a slightly harder edge than most, but when in use, both of them can be increased so much that, in Blade Mode, it looks like a blade made of Fire, encased in Lightning, which isn't that far off, either."

"That's pretty good." Hope admitted.

"_Care to explain Blaze Omega even more?"_ Nicole asked.

"I'll admit I'm a little curious myself." Jihl added.

"Jihl, what really happened to you?" Jared asked, his voice serious. "If I recall, you've never been this relaxed, you're far too uptight, no offense, and you wouldn't have even cared to know about what one person had done before."

"You're right, Jared, I was. But that was before what you did for me." She replied. "If not for you sending me here, I would never have gotten this way. It's your own fault for that."

Jared shook his head. "I was expecting you to be a little more stubborn, to be honest."

"Down here, I don't have to worry about my old reputation. It doesn't matter here. What you see now is what I've wanted to be for a while. A side that I had to constantly suppress, no matter what. Right now, I can just let it roam free."

Jared shrugged. "Hope, you should get some rest, it's probably nearing midnight." He said, looking up at the Moon. "Jihl, the others will be here in about 2 hours after they leave. Especially if they use the same pace as before. I'm giving you fair warning. I'll also be up pretty early in the morning, no matter how long it takes for her to leave. I just want to stick around her as long as I can. When I wake up, I'll cook something up, and then work on a few things. The Armor is not the current project. Not anymore, at least. I've got a few others in mind, but one precedes the other in priority."

"Whatever. Hope, let's leave the two lovebirds alone." Jihl said, walking up the docks.

"Jared, I hope you've still got something to teach me."

"There is, but at the moment, I don't have time to teach you anything regarding your Dark Element. I'll be teaching you everything I can, not just what it means to be a Guardian, and their natural Abilities, but also everything I know out of the Dark Element. I just don't have time to teach you anything else right now." Jared said, jumping down to right next to Nicole. "Get some rest. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"It's not you I'm worried for." Hope admitted as he ran up the pier.

Nicole looked at him. _"What project?"_

Jared looked at her. "It's a Motorcycle. I've got at least 14 in my Shadow Vault. You remember that, don't you?" Nicole nodded. "But for now, I just want to soak up your presence."

"_Well, I've effectively run out of things to talk about, so why not just put up a Sound Barrier, and start working on it. I'll try to help any way I can."_

Jared looked at her, and nodded, before walking to the edge of the large platform, and putting a device on the four posts at the corners, which produced a Blue Barrier. "Sound Barrier up." A few Velocycles came out of the ground, and Jared started taking them apart, with help from Nicole.

It was during the sunrise that she started to fade. She looked at him, who didn't even look worse for wear. _"Looks like my time is up."_

"Looks like it." Jared replied. "It's good to know you're still watching over me and my family."

"_Thanks, Jared. I owe you one."_

"Actually, I owe you two." Jared said. "Last night canceled one of your debts. So yeah, I owe you two."

"_Then bring back the Jared I was friends with all those years and keep him around!"_ was her shout as she faded.

The last thing he saw was the sweet smile on her face. Since the sun was up, he decided to drop the sound barrier, and continue working on the Motorcycle. Currently, it looked like a cross between a Harley Davidson 2010 CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide Motorcycle and a Milvus Velocycle.

The seat was black leather, the design somewhat sleek, and aerodynamic. There was no windshield, but there was 2 wheels, with a 3 spoke rim in the center, and a glowing ring around the rims. On each side were the Triple-barrel Shock Cannons from a Milvus Velocycle, that looked able to fold underneath the main body. There was a single pair of handlebars, and two extended parts of the main body extending from the front, and ending at the seat. On the left handlebar, there was a switch, which he didn't press. It would open up a compartment similar to what he knew as Fenrir from Final Fantasy 7. On the right side, was a handbrake, two gearshifts for the feet, and a few other random bits.

Of course, the Paintjob could be better. _'I'll fix that later. Put it in my True Colors. Just got to find the paint in the right colors... should be simple, but for now, I'll have to test the thing out. Let's see if my riding has gotten any worse.'_ Jared picked up the bike, and took it to the Highroad leading out, and put it down, and started it up. He smirked as he heard the engine roar to life. He made a Scouter appear over his left eye, and then started off slow, sticking to the ground, as he had wanted, before picking up speed, and suddenly finding a wide open wasteland, which caused him to smirk once more. He was enjoying the feel of the wind flowing through his hair as he rode through said wasteland.

Up ahead, he saw Minato fighting a Thermadon. He gazed to his side as time seemed to slow down. _'Time to test these bad boys out.'_ Time returned to normal, and 3 Pulse beams shot out from the left side and took out the Thermadon as Jared sped past Minato.

Time stopped for the two. Minato saw Jared's grinning face. Jared saw Minato's slightly surprised face. Time returned to normal, and Jared sped off.

Minato just stared as he sped off before Jared went up a small hill and got some airtime.

The wheels stopped turning, and split in half before staying in midair, and Jared _still_ piloted around like it was child's play.

In his case, it probably was. _'Alright, time to work the Aerial controls. Let's see if I can do it right.'_ Apparently, not.

It took Jared a few minutes, but he got it down, and was riding 102 MPH through the air. "Wooohoooo!" He shouted out in glee as he performed Corkscrews, Loop-de-loops, Partial Dive Bombs, and more aerial tricks usually saved for an F-16 Fighting Falcon. In other words, Stunt Planes used by the Military. And he had such a good grip, that he never fell off.

Or it could be the Magnetic Strip underneath the leather seat cover that attracted, not metal, but Human skin. _'Ah, who am I kidding? That won't keep me on. It's more for the seat cover itself, than me. I mean, it was made from those idiots that never learned what "No" meant in Weyard. Seriously, that place had too many Rapists for my tastes.'_

He then went back down a bit, and shifted the bike back to Ground Mode, and landed at about 38 MPH, before continuing on, and going up to 75 MPH on his way back to Oerba, which took him about 2 minutes. He looked at Hope, who was outside looking for him as he pulled onto the bridge. Hope noticed the sound, being more attuned to the wind thanks to Jared, and he ran that way, Nue in hand.

When he got there, he saw Jared at the bike. "Mechanical Summon?"

"Built it last night, actually." Jared replied. "Nicole didn't even begin to fade until the Sun started rising, and we both stayed up last night, working on this. Finished it right before she had to leave, but couldn't get the Paintjob done. It still looks like it was made from 5 different Motorcycles, but it runs smoothly." He looked at the bike, as the Scouter disappeared. "Might have to tweak a few things to add more speed, but otherwise, it's pretty good at the moment. Paintjob is all I really need to work on, the rest is pretty much optional." He looked at Hope again. "Is Jihl up?"

"Yeah, she woke up at the same time I did. She said that it was probably you testing out whatever project it was you were working on."

"Well, she was right." He picked up the new Velocycle and walked towards the Main Plaza and set it down, before materials came into view from his Shadow. "Anyway, let's get some lunch. I came across Minato, I know he saw me, so he'll probably let the others know I'm already up, and have a new ride. I'll work on some upgrades. I had another Motorcycle back home, but it was Off-road only. That would do what I needed then, but not now. I need an all terrain capable bike, and with the hover-speed capabilities, it'll be fine, but it's not enough as it is. I'll have to work out a few kinks, but otherwise it'll be fine."

"Alright, I'll let her know. If she's cooking something, then I'll let you know when it's ready."

"No need." They both heard Jihl, and turned to look at her. "I figured you were testing something, but I didn't think you'd have a Bike similar to a Velocycle."

"Just finished it this morning." Jared admitted. "Paint Job is crap, but I wasn't able to work on it, and I doubt there's any viable paint here for me to use, and honestly? I have no paint in my Shadow Vault, which is surprising. At least, not in the colors I need, anyway. I've got Plenty of Gold, Brown and Crimson paint, but not what I want. The Crimson will do fine for a few decals, but not the actual paint job."

"Decals?" Jihl questioned, confused.

"I'm a Grey Wolf at heart. I represent the Crimson Dragon, and I'm a Gran Pulse L'cie that wasn't born on Pulse or Cocoon. I've got a few symbols I could add to the Mark of the Crimson Dragon, make my own, you know?"

Hope looked interested. "Mind if I take a look?"

Jared took out a notepad and Ball-point pen, before drawing something on it. When he was finished, he showed it to Hope.

In the Center was the Mark of a Pulse L'cie with all 10 Arrows but nothing regarding the eye. Instead of the eye, it was the head of a wolf in the center. Around it was a Dragon, the same symbol that was around his L'cie mark, and the Mark of the Crimson Dragon. Hope looked at it. "This is it?"

Jihl inspected it as well. "It's pretty good, I'll admit. Impressive Detail."

Jared nodded as he inspected it himself again. "Yeah. In the Center, at the very core, is my Heart. I'm a Grey Wolf at heart, thus the head of a wolf. Then the Mark of a L'cie. It denotes where I came up with the Symbol, and my second mission, along with it being where I learned most of my own truths. About myself, about my past, and where I came to grips with what I've become. Then the Mark of the Crimson Dragon on the outside. That denotes my Dragoon Spirit, which I will always cherish as one of my greatest allies. Three vital parts of my life, all tied into one symbol. I'll be putting it on my works that are for me and me alone."

Jihl nodded. It made sense to her. Mark it as his, and no one else will be able to use it. If he doesn't mark it, it's for sharing, or personal use.

Hope nodded, understanding his point as well, but also the hidden meaning behind it that Jihl missed. The ones he marks he would more than likely kill to get back.

He wasn't that far off either.

Jared went inside with them, but left his Shadow to do some of the work, so he could work on Breakfast and eat.

Sadly, he would have to rest a lot more today.

Because tomorrow, shit will hit the fan, and he knew it. But first:

5 weeks of screwing Rose in a 5 hour timeframe inside of an empty room that was silenced, and being watched by Nicole who was giggling like mad at the scene she was watching.

The next day Minato had two more days, but he wouldn't really need them.

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!

I will let you know this now:

Miya-chan ate my Peanut Butter Patties! **Sobs loudly**

**Jain:** Anyway, I would say good luck, but he's going to be on the warpath soon so... Anyway, the Invasion should begin next chapter. How do you like the Crimson Velocycle?

**Judgment Dragon:** It could be worse. Besides, what does he plan to do with the Paintjob?

**Jain:** He's going to paint it in his School Colors.

**InsaneGreyWolf:** Jain, is right. It'll be MY school Colors. Grey wolves forever!

ALL HAIL INSANITY!

**Everyone:** AMEN!

ALL HAIL THE LOG!

**Everyone:** AMEN!

ALL HAIL THE DIRTPECKER!

**Everyone:** AM-huh?

**I sweatdrop. **The Dirtpecker? You really forgot about him?

**Jain:** I think we never found out who it was.

**Edd:** You don't mean Ed, do you?

**InsaneGreyWolf:** Why yes! Yes I do! The Dirtpecker: The Great Ed!

**Crickets chirp.**

Alright fine, just look up "Ed is a Woodpecker on YT" and it's the one that plays unfitting music... which if you ask me could fit anything like that. If you're a follower of Insanity, like myself, a follower of Madness (Keep of the Worlds), or just flat out get a laugh out of stupidity, look it up! Ed, The Great Dirtpecker!


	13. The Home Stretch

I'm making a reference to another story on this site in this particular chapter.

It's called

Icha Icha Paradise: Spiraling Love

by JackOfBladesX

It's a good one for a oneshot, and it might be a good idea to check it out.

**Chapter 13**

It had been 3 hours since Jared passed by Minato, and the group of L'cie finally made it Oerba. Fang, Vanille, Minato, Rose, and Lightning looked around, looking for any sign of Jared, if he were in the area.

Snow, on the other hand, was looking up and spotted Jared and Hope in an aerial spar, pretty far up.

Sazh was looking down at the Plaza, his eyes narrowed on one person there that he didn't think survived. _'Why is she still alive? We all saw her get hit by a Spell from Barthandelus. So how...'_ Then it hit him. _'The Stowaway... was it really her?'_

"Anyone find Jared?" Sazh asked.

"Yup." Everyone looked at Snow, who pointed in the air. "I doubt I could shout loud enough for him to hear it."

Minato shrugged. "Allow me." His head then grew to 10 times its original size as he yelled. "JARED! HOPE! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

Two Ruinga missed their targets, as the two looked at Minato, whose head had shrunk to its normal size.

Jihl even looked at them, her outfit having changed this day to something reminiscent of Fang's Blue Sari attire, but with her PSICOM insignia on the left shoulder. At her waist was a sheathed Baton. She had also worn boots similar to Vanille, with fur lining, and edges.

She walked up to them slowly. "It's been a while... though I don't recognize two of you." Jihl looked at Rose and Minato.

"Nabaat..." Sazh nearly growled, which was strange for the Afro man.

"Relax. I have no quarrel with any of you. L'cie or not, I don't think it's necessary. Not after what Barthandelus did to me and is planning to do to all of Cocoon." She replied.

Jared and Hope landed next to her. "Sazh, Nabaat is on our side now."

"People don't change sides so easily." Lightning stated, her hand on Blaze Omega.

Jared shook his head. "Light, I've told you some of the things I can do. What I did to her opened her eyes. Being attacked by Primarch Dysley, or Barthandelus, is good enough of a reason to doubt him. I just gave her information, and sent her to a place to think on said information. A place without Sanctum influence."

Jihl nodded. "The Sanctum had it wrong. Pulse is not an enemy. It's not hell." She actually looked across the lake. "It has more beauty in it than even Palumpolum, which is widely known in Cocoon as the most beautiful place in Cocoon."

"And why, prey tell, are you wearing _my_ clothing?" Fang questioned, her lance pointing at her.

Jihl looked at the clothing. "Honestly? I just found them. They're the only viable clothing here that would fit me." She looked at Fang. "I believe I should apologize for taking them without asking."

Hope chuckled at that. Snow just shook his head. "So, why did you decided to join us?"

"A Reality Check does wonders for the mind." Jihl answered. "Come on. I'll show you where I've been living since I got to this town. I've been trying to keep the place clean, but it's not really easy. The Monsters that came in here until a few days ago I've been clearing out on my own. Those Ci'eth are a pain."

Jared nodded. "That they are."

"Although, I _am_ curious as to why the Monsters don't come in here anymore." Hope said, looking at Jared. Jihl did the same.

"Simple really. Monster Repellant Barrier at the end of the bridge, and on the dock. Built it, not Mechanical summon." Jared said, shrugging. "Come on, we may not have enough time left."

They walked into the main center, and looked at the area, before they walked into the house that Hope, Jihl and Jared had been staying in. Vanille and Fang recognized it as their place way back when. It was a lot cleaner than they thought it would be.

"Wow, she did a good job." Vanille complimented.

"Thank you." Jihl replied.

Jared went to the window and looked at the windowsill again. Fang noticed. "Alright, what happened there?"

"My own rage." Jared stated. "It happened last night, so don't worry about it."

Jared then looked at Rose. "Rose, can you come with me for a minute? _Alone_?"

"Do I even want to know why?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Lohan is acting up again." Rose's other eyebrow met the first, and nodded. "Alright then." The two left the room, and the house.

Everyone blinked at that. "Did anyone get that?" Snow asked, confused. He was also scratching the top of his scalp.

Hope nodded. "I think I know."

"You do?" Jihl asked. "Because I'm just as confused as the rest of them."

"It's the same reason we split off from them in the first place." Hope looked at Lightning. "It also dealt with you, and his own fear. Training me was only a bonus. It wouldn't have worked if Rose wasn't here either."

Lightning then pieced it together, followed by Minato. "He knew... And he didn't want to?" She mused, her eyes wide.

Hope nodded. "He told me the main reason wasn't the training. It was because of what your body was doing to him. If he had gone for it as it was, you would've been broken before he was done. He would've lost control, and wouldn't care about your feelings on the matter. That was something he didn't want."

Jihl sighed. "I think I get it now."

Minato nodded as well. "How long do you think it'll take?"

"Honestly? A few hours, to a day." Hope admitted. "Really, it'll depend on the time Compression he uses, so I don't really know."

"You've learned a lot." Lightning pointed out.

Hope just shrugged in response. "No surprise. We're talking about someone that's done more than his fair share of Background Manipulation, and ass-kicking. I'm bound to pick up _something_."

They really just spent 5 hours of talking, though Sazh was glaring at Jihl for the first two. Minato was mainly talking with Fang and Vanille.

Hope was mostly talking with Jihl and Lightning, and went over a few things he had learned. Jihl gave some input, but not much. She admitted to not understanding most of the topics, so she only commented on those she knew _something_ about. It wasn't easy, but she helped where she could.

Sazh was mainly watching Jihl, making sure she didn't try anything. He saw her chuckle at some of Hope's comments, and decided that she wasn't much of a threat anymore, but he'd be watching her nonetheless.

Snow was just watching the clouds roll by, while looking out over the Lake.

Fang came out to him, and found him by the docks during the fourth hour. "Something on your mind, mate?"

"A lot."

"Don't think too hard. You'll need your brain later." Fang smirked at the joke.

Snow didn't get the humor. "Very funny." His voice had a tinge of sarcasm. "I'm actually wondering about what Jared said on the ship that brought us down here."

"The deal he made with the Maker?" Fang asked.

Snow looked at his brand. "Yeah. If it _is _genuine, then how will we know?"

"Only Jared could tell us that." Fang admitted.

"Maybe, but it's still got me worried."

After that, it was mostly meaningless chatter between all of them. However, after 5 hours and 32 minutes, Jared came out of a single room, Rose right next to him.

They both looked haggard, sweaty, tired, and then some. Hope noticed and made the first comment. "You look like you went up against 3 gods and 9 armies from each at the same time."

Jared managed to sit down on a single bed. "I feel worse." He fell on the bed, and was snoring quickly.

Lightning was looking at Rose's eyes. "What about you?"

"I'll be feeling that for a week." She murmured as she passed out on another bed.

Jihl blinked. "Anyone have any idea how long it really took for them?"

Minato walked over to Rose and put a hand on her forehead, before scanning her mind. When he removed it, his eyes widened, as he looked at the others. "10 weeks 2 days..." He walked over to them and sat down, obviously surprised.

"They slept some, right?" Lightning questioned. Minato shook his head. "That... was entirely continuous."

Everyone was surprised at that, and looked between the two. Hope was the first to stop, and he ran a hand through his hair. "For some reason, I'm not surprised."

Lightning sighed. "Seriously, where does he get his stamina?"

"A lot of fighting and experience." Minato answered. "It comes with being a Dimensional Guardian. The longer you live, the more power you can get." He looked at Jared's sleeping form. "Still, he's not even 60 yet, and most Guardians don't get as strong as he is until they reach 200 years old, some take even longer than that, up to 700 years old."

"He's ahead of his own years, then?" Fang questioned.

Minato shook his head. "I think it's because his knowledge is so varied that he can literally pull strategies out of his ass, and put them into play immediately."

Hope nodded, understanding that perfectly. "He does, and with his level of Insanity, and his acceptance of it, his strategies are nearly flawless. Few, if anyone, sees through his plans unless he lets them in on it."

Minato blinked. "Probably has something to do with him being born in the Prime Realm."

"Prime Realm?" Snow asked.

"It's the realm all others gain knowledge from. It's the original realm, the original Earth. The original Universe. All other Realms that the Guardians, well, Guard are merely derivations of ideas from the Prime Realm, and other ways for everything to happen. Pretty much every Earth out there, even Gran Pulse, is little more than a Derivation of the Prime Realm, if the history was different. In one realm I visited, there was something known as the String Theory. In a nutshell, it stated that there was more than one universe, but each one was either completely different or a mirror image of the original, essentially creating a Multiverse. Each choice makes a different world."

"Wait, you mean Gran Pulse is just an imitation?" Fang questioned.

Minato shook his head. "That's not it at all. The reason each Realm is different, is not because of what choices the Immortals made, its the choices of the Mortals. Humans, Monsters, and the like. Gods don't choose any of it. A single change in the choice of one person can drastically change the history of an entire world. Heck another world is almost a near replica of the Prime Realm, yet the way the world is populated is different. The Prime realm, though I've never been there before, has well over 150 Countries from what I know. Several different Nationalities. This world, on the other hand, from one change in decision, there came 3 Leading powers: Britannia, Chinese Federation, and a European Alliance. They also encompass the three major Government types. Britannia is an Empire. Chinese Federation is more on the Dictatorship side. The EA is a democracy. Monarchy, Dictatorship, and Democracy are three of the most common Governments out there. Back in the day, Cocoon was a Monarchy, what with the Primarch, and all."

"Still is, apparently." Lightning stated.

"Gran Pulse, back then, was more of a Dictatorship/Democracy combination. They had a council, which decided everything. The council is the only form of Democracy there was. Everything else fell under dictatorship." Minato explained.

Fang nodded. "Sounds about right."

"Which do you believe is the best?" Jihl questioned.

Minato thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think any of them are any better than the others. The pros and cons of each one are different, but they weigh roughly the same. That's getting rid of personal opinion, at least. I would prefer Democracy, but with this, it's impossible to appease everyone. Dictatorship is good in the long run, because the economy flourishes, but when the wrong person is inducted, it'll lead to problems, and ultimately, a revolt. Monarchy... You're going through one of the top 5 Worst Scenarios for that right now."

Those awake nodded, understanding it. "A Dictatorship is only as good as the one who runs it, so it could go from bad to worse in a second. A Monarchy is usually led by a family, and really has the same problems as a Dictatorship. Democracy is more for the people than a ruling body."

"What about other Governments?"

Minato thought for a moment. "The rest are merely parts of those three, but one that I've come across is a Theocracy. It's a Government that's ruled by a Deity, or Religion. The Fal'cie are effectively a Deity, so both Cocoon and Gran Pulse have that in their systems. Theocracy tends to fall into Dictatorships, but is far more common in Monarchies. Basically, Religion says this, the government takes it and puts it as a law immediately. That's a Theocracy in a nutshell."

This conversation went on for a while, they ate dinner, found a place to sleep, and did just that. Hope was the first one up, so he went outside as the sun rose. About 30 minutes after the sun rose, Jared was up, and saw it. He also found out that Hope was outside, so he went to see him. "Morning."

"Hey, Jared." Hope replied, his voice more subdued than usual. "I've been wondering something."

"If it's about where to go next, then from here, it goes into the Home Stretch in game."

Hope sighed. "Not much to go on, you know?"

"With all the changes I made, that's the only sure thing. I'm not even sure if the Civilians will be getting into this, and Jihl was supposed to die on the Palamecia. I don't know if she wore Anti-Spell undergarments in game, but if she did, then that means the Palamecia went down, and she went with it."

"There's something else, too." Hope said.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Anything about the plot of the game is pretty much useless right now."

"Actually, it's about Light." Hope stated. "Last night, she asked me about you."

"Hm?" Jared glanced at him. "About?"

"She was wondering how you got under her skin so quickly." Hope replied. "It was actually confusing. If you were anyone else, she would've said "Fuck off", and never said anything else to you unless she had to. I didn't know why, either. So..."

"You want to know what drew her in." It wasn't a question, but Hope nodded all the same. "Well, you know I'm open about a lot of things, right?" A nod. "And you know that I still hide a lot of other things, too." Another nod. "The contradictions regarding me are far too numerous, that it got her curious. As time moved on, that curiosity built up. Before she knew it, she was already drawn in, and I wasn't even trying to do anything. Just had to get my job done. I stuck to that, but her curiosity drew her to me. Someone who talks so much, yet hides even more is more than just an Enigma, Hope. It's my way of life. A Personality like mine can be dangerous. The curious ones will try to find out anything they possible can about you. The Outcasts will notice you, and try to be friends. Others will just flat out ignore you. Lightning and Serah both fell under the Curious Category. Serah was already smitten with someone else, but Lightning had cut herself off. She was ordered by her superior to see where my allegiance lies, but a single mission turned into her Curiosity going rampant."

Hope thought about it. "Being mysterious drew her in?"

Jared shook his head. "My personality held so many contradictions it's not even funny. The moment she found that out, her curiosity was piqued. She lost control of it before she knew it, but she didn't care when she realized it. Somewhere along the way, she found herself smitten with me. She didn't realize it, but I did."

Hope nodded. "I get it, I think. You got her curiosity to do the work for you."

Jared sent the teen a look. "Hope, I didn't force her curiosity into action. I wasn't even _trying_ to get her to fall for me. She just... did."

Jared knew that Minato had heard that. Hope didn't. "And Serah?"

"She's Snow's fiance. I'm still only half convinced that Snow has no relation to Dart or Zieg." Jared admitted.

Hope sighed. "So, what's the story with Minato?"

"Minato is, to my knowledge, a Shinobi of Konohagakure, or the Village Hidden in the Leaves. His first appearance is on the day of his son's birth, sealing a Fox away into said son wearing a White Trenchcoat with flames at the bottom. The next appearance he made was actually in a side story known as 'Kakashi Gaiden'. It took place during the Third Shinobi World war, and in it, it showed an Uchiha's last moments, and what made Kakashi into who he had become: A Porn Addicted, Chronically Late, Lazy Ex-ANBU that is the sensei of said son. I didn't care to read who truly knew about the relationship between the father and son, but I do know that the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Village Elders Koharu and Homura, a few ANBU which were likely chosen on the spot, and the Sandaime's wife: Biwako Sarutobi, I believe her name was. Oh, and the names are read backwards compared to what you and I are used to. Comes with being a Japanese point, I suppose. Surname first, given name last. You and I are used to giving the given name first, surname last."

"Huh. Alright, good to know." Hope stated. "His next appearance?"

"Son is 15, or 16. Never checked, really. Honestly, what he did, by all accounts should have been impossible, but with the knowledge I have now, I have to say it's kind of expected really. He's a Guardian. We live for the Impossible shit. Cheating Death just to have a few minutes with your son definitely qualifies. That goes for his wife, too."

"So, you'll tell him, but not me?" They both heard Minato, but Jared wasn't surprised.

"I told him what I'd say if you thought that I didn't know you were eavesdropping, which I did." Jared admitted. "The reasons for keeping it from you are my own, but mainly for the timeline. I'm not there personally, so I can't affect the timeline, but when I get there, I can. It's a loophole most Guardians follow, as you know. I'm just doing what needs to be done at the moment, since my mission has no bearing on your own. Like I said, when I'm done teaching Hope everything I can, then I'll head to Elementia. I'll help out wherever I can, but if you become Hokage, then call me up. I'll be your 'Secret Weapon', and I would suggest you don't let your advisers or council know. The less they know, the better. If you have a child, and you are dead, I'd watch over them if you can't. While training him, I'll also be teaching myself Chakra using the information I got from you, and what I know from the Prime Realm. That reminds me of something."

Hope and Minato looked at him.

"Before you do, how long do you think it will take?"

Jared shrugged. "Not a clue." Minato sighed. "As for my question, you're still working on that Sphere Jutsu, last I checked. I could give you some advice, if you wish. I completely dissected it before I became a Guardian."

Minato nodded. "I'd appreciate that."

Jared nodded. "Well, as it stands, you've got one part down: Power. You want it to be a high power Jutsu, utilizing Shape and Nature Manipulation to the fullest. You can't seem to find out how to compress it properly, though."

"Compression is one thing. I can't figure out how to contain that much power without it blowing up in my face. Not with Chakra at least."

Jared nodded. "I figured that much. So, here's a little bit of advice, and a way to practice it... If you can get Kushina in bed, grab her breast, and swirl your chakra around in a sphere-like shape, and listen to the moans. I did it with Mana the night my second child was conceived."

"What does sex have to do with..." Minato trailed off, as his eyes widened. He realized what Jared was saying. "You mean...?"

"It should work. I mean, there are a total of Six Stages for what you want. Stage 1: Rotation. Stage 2: Power. Stage 3: Containment. Stage 4: Enlarge. Stage 5: Stage 3 + Element. Stage 6: Combine Stages 4 and 5. Stage 3 in the prime realm, is called the Rasengan, the Spiraling Sphere. Get there first. I've got ideas on Stage 5, one of which is for Wind, but you don't get that far. At best, you get to Stage 4. Your son gets it in the Anime."

"And the sex tip?"

"I was referenced to a Fanfiction site when I was younger. Found one particular one that was pretty good, and actually has that in it." Jared answered. "It's called Icha Icha: Spiraling Love. Stage 1 Rasengan was used as a Secret Sex Jutsu you would never tell your sensei about. It made Kushina melt whenever you used it, and Jiraiya couldn't figure it out for the life of him. It works with Mana, that's for sure. Spinning the Mana in their breasts is a _powerful_ Arousal Boost. Trust me. I used it for the majority of my time with Rose yesterday. Believe me, it _works_."

Minato thought for a moment, and nodded. "Any chance you can pull off this Rasengan with Mana?"

Jared held out his hand, and charged a Ruinga that appeared to be spinning in every direction. "I can only do so with Ruinga at the moment. Ruinga has the Power and containment. All it needed was the rotation. I'd be doing so with Blizzaga, Firaga, Darkja, Waterga and Aeroga."

"Why not one for Lightning?"

Jared just through the Spiraling Ruinga out over the nearby lake, causing a Miniature Typhoon to appear, surrounding the point of explosion. "Because, Minato, Thundaga doesn't originate from the hands. Besides, Lightning Element and Rasengan has another base, and uses a different name."

"And that is?"

Jared sat up, and walked towards the bridge, gesturing them to follow. Once they were out of the Village Limits, Jared saw a Vampire Ci'eth. Minato and Hope were on guard, but Jared waved them off.

"Don't worry. I'm going to show you how I learned it with Mana. It's a different Version, with a Different name, and a Different Source, but otherwise, the two are the same. The speed required is crazy, and you'd need to be able to deal with Tunnel vision. A Master Gunman can do so if he also has the speed. Otherwise, you'd need something like the Sharingan in order to get past that barrier. They're pretty much the same, so if you see someone do something similar, you'll know which one I'm talking about."

Minato nodded, but was ready for anything. Jared then put his arms to his sides, and Lightning charged up, running down both arms. He then jumped up, the Lightning gathering at his hands, making very few sounds, and he spoke. "Thunder God Attack, HIYAA!" He went down and hit the Vampire, piercing through it completely, leaving the electrical Charge on the Ci'eth, before the Lightning produced a powerful discharge frying the Ci'eth almost instantly.

Jared looked at the other two, who were impressed. "Not bad. Thunder God Attack, though?"

"You've got the Flying Thunder God in your possession, though I figured out how you could do it so easily after finding the method, and you're surprised at this Spell, which I didn't even create?"

"Wait, then who did?" Hope asked.

Jared shrugged. "Not really sure. First user I know of is Kanzas, and he was a Dragoon. Not sure if someone else used it before, but I figured it out highly quickly. Still haven't managed to put it in one hand, though. That's the other version I know of, but I can't use it with Mana. I tried for 2 years with no progress."

Minato crossed his arms. "Still, that was impressive. Still, you're probably right. One would need High amounts of speed to pull it off."

Jared nodded. "That's how it was explained. A High speed job laced with Lightning Element Chakra. It was labeled as an Assassination Jutsu, but it's too noisy, and without a counter to the Tunnel Vision, it's basically useless. I trained my vision since I was 13. Using a bow, several guns, and hunting game was a good way to practice. On my own, I could probably rival a Sharingan in perception. Not to mention I can run at Mach 1 with ease, and can still see with utmost Clarity. I can't really turn on a dime at those speeds but I can run a mile at that speed and then turn around in less than a second, with relative ease."

Minato nodded. "Good to know I have a fast friend."

Jared looked back at Oerba. "We should get back. Remember my advice for the Rasengan, and if you need to see it done, ask Kushina about the Imari. It's the same basic principle."

"Thanks." Minato said.

"Uh, was I really needed?" Hope asked, confused.

"Not really." Jared admitted, as they started walking back to the village. As the others woke, they gathered in the village Square, which was pretty small. Everyone, including Minato, looked at Jared. "Any ideas?" Sazh asked.

Jared looked up to the bridge, since it was nearing Noon. "I have one, but..." His eyes narrowed. "He's back."

Most of them were confused, but Jared got up, pulled out Twilight Dragon, and unsheathed the triple helix blade, before jumping up to the Bridge, looking at the drop off. Everyone else followed him up, ready for a fight.

What they saw, none of them, sans Jared, expected.

Serah Farron was walking towards them, Jared's eyes narrowed. Snow, however, was about to walk forward.

Jared pulled Cerberus and pointed it point blank at Serah's head. Lightning held in her gasp, but her eyes narrowed. "Jared..."

"You're not fooling me, Barthandelus. I _know_ you're making this illusion." He pulled the trigger, causing the image to shatter like glass before Dysley showed up, walking towards them. "I see our little Pulse Friend is a cut above the rest." He stated, causing _everyone_ to put up their guard, even Jihl, who was now in a rebuilt PSICOM uniform. "Although, I did not expect you to be alive, Jihl."

"Cut the crap, Barthandelus." She spat out his name like venom. "Your words mean nothing to me. The Sanctum cares nothing for Cocoon. If they did, you wouldn't have tried to kill me, only to fail."

"I can see that." Barthandelus replied, his voice still calm. "Tell me, how did you survive. Nothing I know PSICOM is given can resist Magic to such a level."

"That's none of your concern." Jihl retorted, drawing a Dark Black Baton. It was similar to her older one, but was now a Deep Obsidian Color, with a Crimson Red Grip. She pointed it at Jihl, but Jared held up an arm. "Jihl, this one is out of your league." The L'cie, Minato and Rose stepped forward. "We've got this."

"No." Jihl stepped right next to them. "I'm in this, too. You're not putting me out of this so easily, Jared. Fal'cie or not, I _will_ stop him from destroying Cocoon."

"Then save your strength for the _true_ fight!" Jared retorted, causing her to falter. "Barthandelus, you are nothing but trash." He pointed Twilight Dragon at the man, who then transformed into a much larger form.

"_You believe you can take me?"_

Jared was silent, but his face was hard, almost as if he had gotten rid of all emotions. "Yes." His voice confirmed it.

Jared vanished, and reappeared high into the air. "Radar Missile." 45 Missiles appeared and charged Barthandelus, causing quite a bit of damage.

"Firaga!" Sazh and hope fired a pair of Firaga each at Barthandelus while he staggered from Jared's strike, causing another strike of damage.

Fang, on the other hand charged in after the Firaga and landed several hits with her Lance. Lightning was right behind her and landed several Aquastrikes on the Fal'cie.

Vanille had used Deprotect, Deshell, Debrave, and Defaith on him, since they all used Libra on him and found out. Then she switched to Ravager and fired Spell after spell, usually Waterga, Thundaga, or, on occasion, Quake.

What none of them noticed, however, was that Jihl was charging her Manadrive, which she still had.

Jared fired a Darkja on Barthandelus's face, when Jihl finished. Jared was the first to sense it, and backed off, as Jihl pointed her index and middle fingers at Barthandelus. She had been completely ignored so far, but with this, she won't be any longer. There was a spark of lightning on her fingers because of the Manadrive system, but it was contained due to the AMP technology, so she aimed, unnoticed, until Jared nodded. "Whatever you're doing, do it!" This caused pause from everyone on both sides.

That is, until the power reached the senses of Hope, Rose and Minato. They all looked at Jihl who was pointing at Barthandelus. "Manadrive Cannon fire!" A large beam, rounding off a 3 feet in diameter charged at Barthandelus, surprising those that didn't know of it.

Jared was surprised because he recognized it from another game. "Huh. Guess there was more than one application of that move. Go figure." He aimed Cerberus and fired. "Tri-Blast." It hit Barthandelus, who had not seen the Manadrive Cannon being charged up, nor did he even expect her to have a Manadrive system in the first place. Jihl was sweating slightly. _'I knew using that was a large risk. I've only done so once, after all.'_ She thought.

Jared, however, took advantage of everyone's surprise, and brought out something else.

He glowed red, before a red ring appeared around his feet on the ground. A large burst of energy came from his location, sending wind in all directions and the bridge to start cracking. Minato recognized the Energy source, but it was far more powerful than it should have been. Cerberus had vanished. Twilight Dragon was fading, but fell into his Shadow. Jared black hair was now whipping around wildly in the wind, as a Red aura formed around him. He floated up a bit, before he vanished, and landed a powerful hit to Barthandelus's body, sending him into the air, surprising everyone else. "Kaioken." He charged around through the air, not in his Dragoon Form, and landed several hits as a red blur before Barthandelus was grabbed, and Jared spun around, sending Barthandelus further inland with a Hammer throw.

This is something that only Rose recognized. _'But that's impossible! He couldn't be... I would've known if it was HIM!'_

Everyone was shocked still, even Jihl. She had never seen him do this, but he landed right next to them, as Dysley showed up once more. "It appears as though you are now ready." The red aura disappeared from Jared's body, though his eyes were slightly glazed, before he blinked, slightly confused. Another Minerva Airship showed up near them. "Be a dear and complete your focus. That is your ride." Dysley vanished. Everyone looked at Jared who was still confused.

"Alright, what happened?" Jared asked. "I remember drawing on a Red Energy Source, but after that, nothing." His voice denoted his confusion.

"It was Ki, but..." Minato was cut off by Rose.

"How did you learn the Kaioken? The only one to use it was someone I haven't seen in several millenia." She questioned.

Jared blinked. "I never learned to use the Kaioken, or anything similar. I was planning on doing so after this, but not now. Besides, I only know what it does, and a few similar things in ability, but different in prospect and energy source."

"Wait, you know what it is but you don't remember?" Snow asked, confused.

Jared shook his head. "Later. Let's get moving. I'll have to get everything done, and learn Chakra first. Then I'll work on Controlling the Ki I already have. I wasn't in control of my own body at the time, but I know that you guys were not a threat to me or my ideals. It's how I know you wouldn't be affected if it happened again."

They all looked at each other, but prepared for a battle. Minato was prepared for a One day war now, and Rose was already ready for it. Hope had Nue ready, and was hoping he could do some good. "Alright, there's a little something I want to make clear. Once we get there, we're splitting into groups." He then outlined the plans, with a Scale model of Eden that he snuck from the Gapra Whitewood before he blew the place up. "Hope, you and I are a group. Minato, Rose, you're group two. True, these teams are Overkill, but we've got the big monsters and damage control. Lightning, Jihl, you both are Group 3. Jihl, if you're running low on energy, ask Lightning for a Thundaga on you. The suit will jump start your Nervous system, and completely refill your stamina. You'll feel like you just got a full 12 hours of rest, and ate a healthy breakfast."

Jihl and Lightning nodded.

"Sazh, you're with Snow. Show them what it means to be Hot and Cold. More damage Control, but also help out the Civilians on the Way to Orphan's Cradle here." He pointed to a place on the map. "All groups are to meet here eventually. When you do, wait for the others. Minato and Rose excluded. You two will continue to run Damage Control and protect the civilians. If any Military operative tried to strike you, knock them out, but don't kill unless necessary."

"Vanille, Fang. You're the next group. Make your way to Orphan's Cradle, and protect Civilians along the way. The route, and how you do it, aside from killing said Civilians, is up to you. Just don't strike the military until they strike first, got it?"

"Got it." Vanille nodded.

"Heh. It'll be good to do this, mate." Fang added. "So, what happens when we get there? We gonna strike head on?"

Jared shook his head. "Jihl, or should I say Nabaat, your first Objective is to find Rosch. I know he's still alive. I didn't kill him. Convince him to drop the "Kill the L'cie" plot, and focus on Protecting the Civilians. If PSICOM doesn't strike us, we don't strike them. Same with the GC. Lightning, you go with them."

"And you want me with her when she does?" Lightning raised an eyebrow.

"I want you there, because, one you can recharge her suit, and by extension her, before you split from there, if you do." Jared stated.

"Fine. I don't get why you're still avoiding me, though." Lightning pointed out.

"Light, now is _not_ the time. This is the final stage of what has to happen. Some of you may not have much time. When it's finally over, then we can go that route. Until then, its a no go." Jared's face and voice were serious, and for business only.

"I'll hold you to that." Lightning replied.

"I would be insulted if you didn't." Jared shot back. "Everyone understand their roles?" They all nodded. Jared stood up, and walked towards the Minerva Ship. "Then Let's Roll." The group followed him into said ship, and it took off. Sazh, figuring that it would take them where they needed to go, didn't even take to the controls.

He was right, but he didn't like it.

They let the ship take them where it wanted to go, and prepared for a fight.

-Eden-

There were a lot of Floating vehicles, looking as if to start a race. Cid Raines, the current Primarch, was speaking over an intercom.

_Let us Forge ahead with unflinching Courage, and Honor the fallen with action._

Engines starting revving up.

_With thee hands, we shape the future_

They heard a snap, and the racers shot off the starting line.

It wasn't long into the first lap that a single racer had noticed a glowing symbol. "Huh?" through said light, which turned out to be a portal, came a PSICOM Minerva Ship. The L'cie and others from the group, including Rose, Jihl Nabaat, and Minato, were falling as well.

"Odin!" Lightning shouted, summoning her Eidolon. Jared brought out his Velocycle, and kicked it over to Colonel Nabaat, who grabbed it and jumped on, before revving it up.

Aside from Jared, all L'cie had summoned their Eidolons. Jared and Rose turned into Dragoons, while Minato started to flying next to Rose without any form of wings. In fact, he was Ki to fly next to her.

Snow, Stiria and Nyx stopped a racer that was flipping due to the Minerva Ship almost crashing into him. Snow was on top. "And the Hero saves the day!" He holds his arm up.

However, a Camera soon caught sight of his L'cie Brand. Some gasped, but the ones that were in Bodhum and Palumpolum, even some from Nautilus, had come out of the crowd, wondering what was going on.

"Probably should've covered that." Snow mused, as he jumped off of the straighten racer, as Stiria and Nyx combined to form the Shiva Cycle, which Snow rode down the Track in the Reverse direction.

_Intruders on the race circuit! Confirmed Pulse L'cie! All units respond with lethal force!_

"Catch me if you can!" Snow taunted as the Hoverbikes went after him.

Soon, he went under an overhang, which Hope was on top of. He jumped down, not scared in the slightest. A Myrmidon stopped in front of him. "Hi there." he greeted. The Myrmidon was about to strike but Alexander stopped it, and destroyed it. "Cut 'em off." Hope called out, causing the large Eidolon to block the PSICOM Hoverbikes off from progressing. Hope added onto this with several Radar Missiles, which dealt more damage than most of the weapons he know of. _'Note to self: Thank Jared for the Radar Missiles.'_ He thought, as those that hit a Radar Missile either went down, or crashed into Alexander.

Further down, Lightning was riding Odin. "Ready? Let's do it!" Odin jumped, transformed, and performed a slingshot maneuver with Lightning, sending her on top of an oncoming Hoverbike. She fired Blaze Omega into the Engine of the one she landed on, before jumping over to another one. "Die scum!" The pilot of the second one shouted.

"You first!" Was Light's response.

She plunged Blaze Omega into the engine, and send the Pilot flying out with her off hand, before jumping off.

It exploded not 5 seconds after she jumped.

As she jumped, fang chuckled on Bahamut next to her, and Light kicked another grunt out of his Hoverbike, and took the controls, firing at another pilot.

Elsewhere, Vanille and Hecatoncheir were being shot at. Hecatoncheir had blocked most of the gunshots from hitting Vanille.

"Stop that!" Vanille cried out.

Another PSICOM unit pulled out a Rocket Launcher. "Block this!" He fired, but didn't expect it to explode before it reached its target, giving most of them pause.

Rose had cut it in half before it reached Hecatoncheir.

They also didn't expect Kunai to rain down in the middle of them all. They were caught even more off guard when there was a Yellow Flash moving between them all, cutting them apart. Minato showed up with a frown on his face. "Those guys were too easy." He commented.

Jared, meanwhile was following Lightning, who called Odin to return to his Gestalt Mode, which was a horse. She managed to take down a large airship with PSICOM units on it, and he followed her in Dragoon form, taking out Mechas that she didn't using Twilight Dragon. She then landed nearby, as Phoenix lit up the skies.

Jihl came in behind her on Jared's Velocycle, Jared floating beside her and Odin as a Warmech landed in front of them. Jared looked at Jihl and they both nodded. He then flew off to find Hope.

Lightning was able to handle the Warmech with Odin's help, not worried at all. She looked at Nabaat, who nodded, and got on the back. Odin was Dismissed. They went to find Rosch. Hopefully, he could understand their predicament.

-elsewhere-

Dark Purple Portals, otherwise known as Transgates started opening up all Over Eden.

One of them, a Dreadnought came out of it. Civilians were running away in panic, before a being seemingly made of Black Flames was in front of them, particularly sandwiching them inbetween the two. Minato flew passed the Black Monster, AKA Rose, and punched the Dreadnought, making it skid back a few yards.

Rose followed up, and grabbed one of the arms at the base, before pulling the damn thing off with sheer strength, causing sparks to fly, and her to kick the thing away, before Minato managed a Power Sphere: A Rasengan without the rotation. It was a much larger one, nearly unstable, but it did it's job and shattered the Dreadnought. Minato and Rose out, at the civilians then each other. Not a word was spoken. They didn't need to say anything.

They nodded, and jumped off, which surprised the civilians. One of them looked like a Monster, but one of them recognized the other one. _'My god... Mina-kun?'_

Elsewhere in Eden a large four legged being, an Adamantoise, came out of another portal. Hope and Jared met this one. Hope made a hole in its head, before Jared throw a small box into said hole. There was an explosion, and the Adamantoise fell to the ground, dead.

The Civilians nearby looked at the two and recognized them as the L'cie that were in Palumpolum. They were surprised they had come. "Advice?" Hope questioned.

"Less flair more Style." Jared replied. "Now let's move." The two jumped off, as another Adamantoise showed up.

Thing is, it was about to step on a child. Jared's eyes widened. "Hope!"

"Right!"

Jared got underneath the foot, stopping it with a single hand. He looked at the kid. "You okay?"

the kid looked up at him, wide eyed. The kid's mother was also wide eyed. He was a known Pulse L'cie, stopping a child from being stomped flat.

With one hand.

"Hope!" Jared looked towards Hope, and saw a large metallic object. Funny thing was, he didn't recognize it. He did know one thing, though. It was effectively a powerful Pulse Laser. _'Note to self: Ask him what that thing is.'_

A large green beam fired from it, and covered the Adamantoise's head and upper body. Jared then threw the leg away, before using a Firaga on the body.

Elsewhere, aerial creatures had come out. These were cut off by Jihl and Lightning, who effectively bottlenecked the portal that was on their path, Lightning let loose a few Thundaga, while Jihl fired some Pulse Lasers from the flying Velocycle.

The portal collapsed on itself with the attacks, and the two moved on.

Snow and Sazh were now riding down the streets, Snow on the Shiva Cycle, Sazh in the F-1 Brynhildr. They were taking on the smaller fry, but there were a lot of them. "Hey Snow?"

"Yeah?"

"Ever think that Jared might not know something?" Sazh questioned.

"All the time!" Snow admitted without restraint.

"Really? He's known everything so far."

"He still doesn't know the future!" Snow said as he jumped off the Shiva Cycle, coming up to a Dreadnought. Sazh did the same, and faced it down. "Ready to kick some ass, Hot shot?"

"Cool your jets, Ice man." Sazh retorted with a smirk.

-Elsewhere-

Amodar was commanding a bunch of others in the Plaza. They were the Citizens of Bodhum. "don't let the Monsters kill anyone!" Amodar ordered. "Use what you've learned and Protect our homes!"

NORA was on a group of Hoverbikes as well, looking for Snow. They each had guns and spare ammo.

"Gadot, you really think he'd be this way?" Lebreau questioned the big man with Orange hair.

There was an explosion of Ice and fire nearby. "I'd bet dollars to donuts the Ice over there was him." Big man Gadot answered in his gruff voice.

-on the streets-

Civilians were now striking down PSICOM Elites, same with the Guardian CORPS. The ones from Palumpolum were being led by Tsuba Tanto, AKA Bartholomew Estheim. He had Mortal Edge in hand.

He wore a black muscle shirt with White and Gray flames running along the waist. He had Black skintight pants, with the same colored flames around the ankles. He also wore Tan Combat style, Steel-toed boots. Behind him was roughly 350 Civilians, each holding guns. The GC from Palumpolum was also there, raising another 500 strong. "Stop the Monsters from killing Civilians. If you come across the L'cie, help them out. Move in groups of ten or more." Tanto ordered.

"Right!" The Civilians replied, grouping in groups of 15-20 people. The GC went in Groups of 10-20, as well.

"What about you?" A Soldier questioned.

Tanto gained a smirk, though it went unnoticed as everyone was behind him. "I'm going to find the biggest threat, and chop it to pieces." he tightened his grip on Mortal Edge slightly, before jumping _extremely_ high, surprising the others.

-with Rose and Minato-

Rose, in Black Monster form, and Minato were flying down the streets, seeing another portal caused them to stop, as a massive Behemoth came through. "A King Behemoth." Rose stated, her voice sounding slightly like Static.

"You want this one?" Minato questioned.

"With Pleasure." Rose charged, Minato coming in behind her, and she grabbed its arm, and ripped it off. "Looks like you need a hand." She taunted as she heard the cries of the Behemoth. She then sent Black Flames through its head, killing it instantly.

"Quick, brutal, and efficient." Minato summarized. "Lets move on."

"Agreed." The two flew down the streets, seeing the Calvary, who was abut to shoot them, but PSICOM got there first, thinking the two to be L'cie. Minato managed to dodge the fire, but Rose melted the bullets before they hit her.

The Black Flames around her body was more than just an attack source, apparently. The Calvary was about to shoot PSICOM, but Black Flames engulfed them as Rose passed by, causing them to lower their weapons, and follow them. One of them decided to call in. "All units, there are two others pulling together. One seems to be made of black flames, and has wings. The other has Golden Blonde hair, and is wearing a Purple Bodysuit underneath a Green Vest with Pockets. They took out PSICOM units that shot at them, and are now in the process of slaughtering the monsters on Highway 6."

_Roger that. We'll be on the lookout, and ask for help if they are around._ A voice came over the radio.

However, another one came over, which was not someone the guy recognized. In fact, it was female.

_Is the blonde still nearby?_ She questioned.

"Who are you?" The soldier questioned. Said Blonde was next to him immediately, staring down the monsters, his hand held out to the soldier.

_If he is, just put him on!_ The female was pretty much pissed. That much was guaranteed by the tone of voice used. The soldier handed it to him, and he put it to his ear. "Kushina, I presume?"

_MINATO YOU BASTARD! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO TEST YOUR HIRAISHIN?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE YOU'RE AT?!_

Minato sweatdropped. "That's you alright. Listen, I popped up on Pulse. I've been here before. I'll explain later. Right now, I'm working with 4 known Guardians, one of which just so happens to be my daughter."

_Well then, make that five._ Kushina retorted. _Like hell am I gonna let you have all the fun!_

_Make that Six._ Another voice came up. _The name's Tsuba Tanto, and I just diced an Adamantoise, currently staring down a pair of dreadnoughts._

_Kushina, I didn't expect you to show up._ Jared's voice sounded out.

_Who are you, and how do you know me?_

_Name's Jared Shadowwind. You asked Psycho to send me a Data Analyzer._

_Oh. Well, that makes sense. Where are Mina-kun?_

"Highway 6, apparently. You?"

_I'm in the High Plaza, just outside the Primarch's office. Sounds like he just got shot._ Kushina answered.

_Calvary did that._ Jared stated. _Saw Rygdea shoot Raines, who should've been dead by now, but really isn't._

_This is Fang. Hey, Light. Rosch is here._

_Where?_

_The Edge of Highway 9, I think._ Fang replied. _He's in a Large ship. The same one that Paku shot down._

_Good to know. We're on our way._ Lightning replied.

Minato looked at the Soldier, and then at rose who had just torn the last beast in half, before looking at Minato. He looked at the device, found the frequency, made another device similar, put it to his ear, and handed it back. "Good luck." He then ran towards Rose, before taking to the air with Ki.

-down a tunnel-

Snow and Sazh were running through another tunnel, where they found 3 PSICOM Commandos, scared shitless of the Long Gui in front of them. They both stood in its way. They were about to strike, but a javelin Missile hit it from above, causing the PSICOM unit to just look around confused. Snow and Sazh decided to begin attacking.

They both landed very few hits before Jared came down, and stabbed the back of its neck. "Mortal Danger!" The thing froze, fell to the ground, and started to vaporize itself in Gold Particles. Hope landed nearby, Dark Blue Energy wings out. The four L'cie looked at each other. "Kills?" Snow asked.

"190, not including the Long Guis." Jared stated.

"187." Hope answered. "You?"

"128." Sazh answered. "Ice man here got 152."

"That's right Hot shot."

Jared blinked. "Nice nicknames, you two."

Hope nodded. "We should get moving. There are more on the way."

The other three nodded, the PSICOM soldier completely ignored. With the skill the L'cie showed off, he had no chance on his own. Jared looked at him, nodded his head to the tunnel, and the soldier just ran into it. He then went out with the others.

-with Minato and Rose-

The two had just reached town Square, and saw a woman with Crimson red hair. Minato recognized her instantly. On her body was a Battle Kimono, a Green Vest similar to his own, and nearby were three Calvary Units. All around the four of them were corpses of Monsters, and a few PSICOM grunts that tried striking her.

The Grunts were cut in half.

"Kushina." Minato nodded to her.

"Minato." The red head replied, swing her Katana to rid it of the blood. She then looked at Rose. "Who is this?"

"Another of the Guardians." Minato stated.

"Alright, what's really going on?" She questioned.

"We'll fill you in later." Rose stated in her gruff voice. "Right now, the Civilians are more important."

Kushina shrugged. "Fine by me. Let's move."

The two nodded and went off, the Calvary units confused.

-Highway 9-

Lightning, Fang, Vanille, and Nabaat were standing in front of the downed Proudclad, and an injured Rosch.

"You... You monsters... And Nabaat..." Rosch started.

"I am my own person. Not a slave to a Fal'cie's will. I was hit by Barthandelus on the Palamecia. Had they not gotten me out, I would be dead. If not for them, I'd be dead. They may not like me, but at least they know how to put differences aside, and work for a common goal." She held out a hand. "Have all PSICOM Units back down from the L'cie, and reroute their attention to the Monsters, and safeguarding the Civilians. Once you do, PSICOM will be ignored by the other L'cie. You strike them, they strike you. Plain and Simple."

Rosch was surprised. They were sparing him? _'then why would they want me to tell the others to...'_ He looked at the hand, and saw the Communicator.

He took it. "All Units, this is Commander Rosch. Revert all attention to the Monsters, and Safeguarding the Civilians. Do not attack the L'cie. I repeat, do not attack the L'cie."

_Commander, the L'cie are..._

"Sparing my life as I speak." Rosch cut him off, silencing the others. "Spread the orders. The L'cie are not to be struck. Safeguard the Civilians."

_Yes sir!_ A voice came out. Rosch looked at Nabaat. "PSICOM HQ. How long would it take for you to get there?"

Jihl looked at the Velocycle. "Probably 5 minutes, give or take." She went over to the Velocycle, which was grounded, and it went airborne, as she held a hand out to help him up. "Lightning?" She questioned.

"Last one if we split here." The Pinkette returned, before focusing a Thundaga on Jihl alone, who felt the energy run through her body.

"Thanks for the juice. Good luck with Orphan. You'll need it." Jihl took off with the Velocycle.

Lightning then looked at Fang. "Could we get a ride?"

"Bahamut?" Fang questioned, as she summoned her Eidolon, who immediately went into Gestalt. The three L'cie got on, and went out on the back of the Dragon.

-elsewhere-

A Dragon came through another Portal. This time, it was Paku, who immediately took aim at a Long Gui and fired his Shadow Cannons at them, killing them instantly.

**I wonder how Jared's doing?** The large Dragon mused, as he took out several other monsters. **Oh well. I'll find out later.**

He flew off and took out more monsters.

-Orphan's Cradle entrance-

Jared and Hope were on top of a ledge 60 feet above the ground. The two had Sniper Rifles, pointed out, picking off Monsters everywhere.

Snow and Sazh were coming up the path, since they separated about 20 minutes back.

Lightning, Fang and Vanille were coming through the air on Bahamut's back.

They landed on the ground near the entrance as Snow and Sazh got there, neither out of breath.

Jared and Hope jumped down and met with them. "Ready to go?" Jared questioned, earning a nod from everyone else.

Everyone then saw floating glowing rocks that they couldn't grab. "Time's running short. These crystals are not a good sign."

Sazh looked slightly apprehensive. "I don't like this. Is cocoon falling apart already?" He asked.

"It could be Orphan's having some trouble holding things together." Hope answered, before the crystals all stopped in place, as did everything else.

Jared looked out and saw an Explosion, but it wasn't expanding, nor was it contracting. Jared, Fang and Hope all knew what this meant.

Someone had stopped time.

A woman in Dark Blue clothing showed up in front of them. Her hair was Black, her eyes a bright silver. Jared looked at her in slight surprise. "Mind if I ask what you're doing here?" He asked, confusion showing in his voice.

"Wait, so this isn't an Illusion?" Snow asked.

"If it is, then I'm seeing it too." Lightning admitted admitted, ready to strike the woman if need be.

The Woman held up a hand. _"Calm yourselves, L'cie. I am not here to fight."_

Jared still had his hand on Twilight Dragon, but the others were more apprehensive. "Again, I ask why are you here? We're doing the job you asked of me." He stated, still calm.

Hope, Fang and Vanille were silent, but only Hope knew who it was.

"_I am here because it appears as though there is a change in your directive, Jared. Recent Events have led me to a different conclusion from before. This is something that I did not see coming."_ the woman explained.

"So what? One of them is off the list now?" Jared questioned, not liking the fact that a plan is finally getting thrown off course.

"_I'm afraid so. The entire plot is only the fault of Barthandelus, not Orphan. This is not how it was supposed to happen."_ The woman replied.

"Jared, who is this?" Lightning questioned.

"Everyone, meet the one known as The Maker." Jared introduced them. Everyone, sans Hope, had their eyes widen.

"Wait, if you're here then..." Sazh was cut off.

The woman huffed._ "I am not here for Barthandelus's Wishes. I would never condone such an action. Destroying all life on Cocoon. Tch. Even as a kid, he was delusional."_

"I gather that much. Did someone drop him on his head or what?" Jared asked.

"_Or what is a good question. It wasn't being dropped. Believe it or not, he was actually the worst of my children from the beginning, not to mention a complete Momma's boy."_ The Maker shook her head. _"I would still want Barthandelus gone. I just no longer want Orphan Gone."_

Jared shook his head. "Changing the orders at the last minute... Sounds like this is Soa's Idea."

"_In a way, I have her to thank for giving me the right information, which I checked up on. It is why I am here now. I must leave soon. Remember, Defiers of Fate. You will all be freed of your Focus and will never be able to get another one once Cocoon is saved. I already have Dajh and Serah ready to come back."_ Snow, Lightning and Sazh's faces showed surprised. _"Consider it your reward for a job well done, if you succeed. I wish you luck, oh, and Jared?"_

Jared raised an eyebrow. _"I already know what your next assignment is. Turns out, it's guarding someone that is in the area, but shouldn't be."_

"Kushina, Minato, or Rose?"

"_None of the above. It's inside of Kushina, if you know what I mean."_

Jared nodded, it making sense now. "So, I have to guard the Furball, eh?"

"_Only to make sure it reaches the next container, Soa and I plan to run interference with her, too, but it will take some time to get her back. For that, though, you need to do me and Soa favor."_

"I'm not gonna like it, am I?"

"_Probably not."_

Jared shrugged. "Meh. Beggars can't be choosers. Is that all, _Boss_?" He finished it off in a Joking tone.

"_As it stands, yes. Beat back Orphan if he tries to strike you, but do not kill him. Barthandelus, I ask that you don't hold back."_

The L'cie nodded, not liking the change any more than Jared did, but agreed nonetheless, because they knew he would pull through. Jared just smiled. "At least you're not one of those insufferable goddesses that think they're always right, and _never_ get something wrong the first time."

"_Please. Even Immortals make mistakes. Some tend to forget that. Soa made one when she came up with the Virage Embryo, and she recognized that when Melbu first came into the picture. It was meant to combat anything that the World itself couldn't handle, but she made it too powerful. Its why she liked Charlie for sealing it off. By the way, someone named Ilias is constantly saying 'Fuck off'. She thinks ill of you to an extent not even I would wish on anyone. If it were my choice, I'd say you'd go tear her a new one after your job here, but that's not my decision."_ Maker replied.

Jared shrugged. "Any other Gods against me?"

"_Not that I'm aware of, no. There's more curiosity towards you than other Guardians... Although one of the gods from another realm has his eyes set on Rose, I don't really care much for her. You, on the other hand, are from the Prime Realm. It's actually exceedingly rare for a Guardian to be born in the Prime Realm. Most just go there for Vacation, not to raise a family. In fact, in all my time as a Goddess, I only know of 5 that were born there, you being one of those five. No one knows the true reason why, but, three of the other four actually committed Suicide. The fourth one didn't really do much before being killed in battle, since she couldn't really accept the fact she was a Guardian. You are the only one that was born there that is currently alive."_

Jared raised an eyebrow, not exactly surprised that others were born there, but somewhat surprised that they committed suicide. "Why would they commit Suicide?"

"_I don't know why. They may have been afraid of themselves, or they may not have understood the true meaning. Either way, the only ones that could possibly know are dead, and that's it."_ She looked up. _"I must go. Time is running short, and I can only hold it for so long. Remember this, L'cie. No matter what happens, as long as you follow your heart, you will never regret a single thing you do. Something I did not say before, the Focus reflects the Heart, no matter what."_

Jared's eyes widened. "And Eidolons? Are they a reflections of the L'cie's Personality?"

"_You catch on quick. I don't believe that has ever been revealed. It has nothing to do with the knowledge, but rather, what one would do with the Knowledge."_

"Focus reflects the heart, not the Fal'cie. Spells come from the Will. Eidolon comes from the Personality."

The Maker smiled as she faded starting at her feet._ "That is the truth of the L'cie. I had interfered it the creation of L'cie from the beginning. You 6 were chosen for this long before I had asked him to come along for the ride. It was I that chose you, not Anima. Not Barthandelus."_

The Maker faded completely. They all looked at Jared. "What? Not my fault I didn't know."

"You could have at least Suspected it."

Jared shook his head. "Honestly, even if I did suspect it, I had no basis, no proof and no memory of anything even hinting at it." Time started back up, and Dysley's face enlarged showing himself to the group, who was now on guard.

_It is time L'cie._

"Barthandelus, you are going down! No more time for words, because anything you say is meaningless! I saw the polls. The Civilians have their doubts on the Sanctum. PSICOM is now on our side. You've lost the Political Battle. Now its just time kick your ass and kill you off. The Maker decided to spare Orphan, but not you. You're still going to die, by Order of The Maker."

"The Maker has not been here in over 1,000 years."

"She has been. You've just never seen her." Jared stated. "In fact, you just missed her."

"A power that large..."

"Was suppressed to the Max. I have better senses than you, and I _know_ what to look for to see if one is a God. I've met 7." Jared's voice had hardened.

Barthandelus's form vanished. _I shall see you at the Seat of the Sanctum's Power._

"You mean Orphan's Cradle." Jared stated. There was no response.

He looked at the others, his face determined. "Anyone having Second Thoughts?"

They all looked at him as if to say "Are you Fucking Kidding me?" He chuckled a bit. "Just asking." he walked into the nearby building. The others followed him. _'But since they didn't back out, they are in it to win it... Damn, I spent too much time with Disney as a kid. I still remember "I'll Make a Man out of you" from Mulan... Now that I'm on that train, I wonder if there was actually a world where it is clear... I figure a Goofy Movie would. It has more differences from the Prime Realm, but Mulan isn't. Same with the Aladdin Trilogy... I also wonder if the Star Wars Galaxy is actually in the Prime Realm, or another one entirely. Oh well. I'll find out sooner or later. Time to kick Fal'cie ass.'_

Jared smirked as he reached the end of the passage, leading to a stairwell.

00000x00000

Chapter Complete.

FINALLY!

Time to post, and I couldn't figure out how to make the "Invasion of Eden" Scene work. I had to get a brainfreeze in order to get it started with Whoppers Flavored Breyers' Ice Cream.

Seriously, it works.

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!

ALL HAIL THE BRAINFREEZE, THE DESTROYER OF WRITER'S BLOCKS!

**PLEASE NOTE!**

I don't own the idea of Brainfreeze destroying a writer's block, but it works. I should know. It got me past a particular block here.

**END NOTE.**


End file.
